


New World Order

by madlaw



Series: All Shoot All The Time [2]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Crimes & Criminals, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/F, Flirting, Handcuffs, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kidnapping, Missions, Murder, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Oral Sex, Pedophilia, Playing chicken with the Machine, Rescue Missions, Root is jealous, Rough Sex, Sex, Shaw is jealous, Strap-Ons, Torture, Two gods go to war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-07-29 05:21:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 59,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7671685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlaw/pseuds/madlaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is Part II of the All Shoot All The Time series.</p><p>Root and Shaw are in love.  They refuse to separate.  They have sex, fights, sex, missions, and more sex.  Until Shaw goes missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Identities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “…drop the eyeliner, pick up a gun, and help me take down a criminal street gang.”

Working at the cosmetics counter as a salesperson for a retail store, it’s taken all Shaw’s energy not to kill someone.  So when her boss comments, “Unfortunately, we hired you to sell this stuff, not scare off the customers,” he has no idea how close he comes to losing his tongue.

In order to stay together, Root and Shaw had the Machine lease them an apartment in North Bergen, New Jersey, just eight miles from Manhattan through the Holland Tunnel.  The Machine calculated those were the best odds of escaping detection by Samaritan.  They don't tell the team ostensibly to keep them safe but really because Shaw can't bear the thought.  So Root and Shaw are together most nights when they aren't working missions or in Shaw’s case, her cover job.  But when Root explained Shaw’s new cover job in “business development” she’d left the details extremely vague, claiming the Machine hadn’t given her any other information.

So when Shaw sees Root sitting at her counter, she stalks over.  As she does, Shaw can’t help but notice Root looks incredibly hot, sitting there, a devil in a blue dress, her legs crossed, delineating the muscles in her calves, with a pouty, innocent smile on her face.  But what Root is doing with the straw in her mouth is anything but innocent, as she slowly caresses her bottom lip, her mouth slightly open.  As Shaw walks toward her, Root keeps looking at her with that Mona Lisa smile, swiveling slightly in her chair, pretending she doesn’t know she’s about to be on the receiving end of Shaw’s verbal rampage.   _Although, it’s such a turn on when she’s angry,_ Root knows.

Reaching her, Shaw struggles to keep the scowl on her face, not stopping herself from getting so close to Root only the counter keeps her from sitting on her lap.  But all she says is, “Okay, this day job thing, not really working out.”  Although Root responds “sorry Sam,” with what she hopes is a sincere look, Shaw knows she’s not sorry.  Not one little bit.  But she still lets Root get away with calling her Sam in public; most people would be unconscious already.  Innocently, Root tells her, “You need an identity. And you need to trust the machine.”  Although Shaw asks, “Wait, the machine put me in this silly-ass job?” She doesn’t believe it for a minute.  This job has Root written all over it.

Root tries sincerity.  “It's the only way to keep you alive and off Samaritan's radar.”  Seductive like a succubus on the hunt, she continues, “For what it's worth, I really like the new look.”  Watching Shaw walk over, Root wasn’t able to keep her eyes off Shaw’s well-defined biceps, accented in Shaw’s sleeveless, indecently clingy, black dress.  Remembering the feel of those biceps wrapped around her body, Root has a hard time dragging her thoughts back to the matter at hand.  Exasperated, knowing what Root’s thinking, Shaw dryly responds, “I could stab you with my stiletto,” although by now she’s struggling to keep the smile off her face, thinking of just how many ways Root is going to make this up to her.

Shaw buries the thought and refuses to be distracted.  "Enough already. Now when are we getting new numbers?”  As Root responds with her usual inscrutable explanation, she lets her eyes rake over Shaw’s body like she's ill and Shaw's the cure.  A look not lost on Shaw.  So when Root tells her, “But for now, I need you to make me look good,” Shaw knows this particular match goes to Root, as Shaw struggles to hide the hungry look in her eyes.  Deflecting, Shaw whispers, “Just promise me John's a barista.”  Knowing any further protestation will get her nowhere, Shaw leans in provocatively close, her lips a breath away from Root’s, and settles for knowing, in that moment, Root’s the one feeling frustrated. 

The team is working off of a calendar system given to them by Root, which gives them times and locations to meet.  Shaw meets Reese at a self-help group, where she realizes his cover identity makes him a cop.  Outraged, Shaw tells him, “Hey, at least you get to crack a few skulls, carry a gun.”  Shaw's outraged.   _Root is so dead._   Not knowing why they’re there, Shaw and Reese walk out of the support group.  The payphone just outside the door begins to ring.  When Reese answers it’s the Machine with a new number.

Reese meets Finch at a park, where he informs him about the new number.  Finch insists he’s no longer taking orders from a computer.  Reese attempts to persuade him to get back to work, but Finch remains adamant and insists all they can do now is survive, hiding in their cover identities. 

As Reese investigates, he discovers the number is Ali Hassan, who has developed a covert communications network using old VHF TV antennas scattered throughout the five boroughs of New York, making it invisible to Samaritan.   A criminal organization, the Brotherhood, led by a man named Dominic, is pressuring Hassan to assist them with the network.  Attempting to get out from under the Brotherhood, Hassan places a bomb in one of the phones, but Reese prevents the bombing.  The Brotherhood kidnaps Hassan’s son, Ben, trying to force Hassan to comply.

While at work, Shaw receives a call from John, telling her to “…drop the eyeliner, pick up a gun, and help me take down a criminal street gang.”  Although tempted, Shaw remembers her promise to Root.  In an effort to discourage Reese, she reminds him, “I'd really like to, but that sounds like a bad idea… you go off the reservation, they'll find you. And if you go down, we all go down.” Knowing she’s not really worried about her own life, but refusing to put Root at risk, Shaw turns him down.  As expected, Reese says he’ll go with or without her.

Reese attacks the Brotherhood.  As he’s interrogating a Brotherhood member rather forcefully, Shaw arrives, knocking Reese out with a metal pipe to the head.  “I told you it was a bad idea,” she says, although Reese is now unconscious. _Root is reckless enough with her life, I’m not sending more danger her way._

Meanwhile Root visits Finch, informing him, “Your former associates, the mayhem twins. They're back to trying to save people.”  Finding Harold’s already aware, Root tells him, “Then you're also aware that they're gonna get themselves caught or killed without your help.”  Still refusing, Finch asks Root whether it’s the Machine ordering his intervention.  Frustrated, Root replies, “Now's not the time to be precious, Harold. You don't get to sit this one out. The world can't afford to indulge your indecision.” 

Finch, unrelenting, still hears Root out.  “Sorry. You have to pick a side, because this is war. And the thing we're up against, it has virtually unlimited resources, governments working unwittingly at its behest, operatives around the globe protecting it. You know how many we have? Five. Six, if you count the dog.” _Personally she likes Bear better than John, but Bear can't hold a gun._ _“_ You have a god in this fight, Harold, and she's fighting for her life.” 

Finch scoffs, telling Root none of the irrelevant numbers matter in light of the threat Samaritan poses.  Passionately, Root argues, “Every life matters. You taught me that. The numbers, our identities, they all mean something. It all adds up to something. All of this matters. We all matter. You got your friends into this mess. Least you can do is get them out of it.” Leaving Harold with that thought and a message from the Machine, she walks out.

Meanwhile, Shaw is dealing with Reese who is groggily coming to, insisting he has things in hand.  “Yeah, things like a grenade launcher. You can't do that anymore, Reese. Neither of us can. We get caught, we get exposed, and then it's lights out.”  Although still attempting to dissuade him from trying to save the number, Shaw relents when she finds out Reese is trying to save a kid.  _I’ll just stay in the background to cover his back._

Quietly, Finch appears at Hassan’s shop and offers his assistance getting the network Hassan created running again.  Cautioning Reese, Finch implores him to be discreet.  John seeks out Elias for information and assistance.  Finch fixes Hassan’s network.

Elias tells John about the heroin delivery the Brotherhood is taking.  Reese makes a deal for his assistance and Elias’ men help Reese raid the house where Ben and the heroin are being held, with Shaw as back-up.  Compromising between her promises to Root and helping Reese, Shaw stays in the background, leaving before the police arrive.  Reese rescues Ben.  When the police arrive, Reese explains it was a drug war between rival gangs; his cover as a narcotics detective instrumental in covering up what really happened.

Arriving while the scene is being processed, Decima’s agent, Martine, appears, assessing the scene for herself.  Not believing for a moment it has anything to do with a drug war, she leaves, almost crossing paths with Reese.  Reese meets with Finch, explaining he has appropriated the secret phone network for their use.

Root goes to see Shaw at work again.  As usual, Root gives her a sexy as sin look, but annoyed with her job, Shaw sarcastically asks Root if she’s checking up on her.  _Did she already hear about my escapade?  Nah, she’d be ceaselessly lecturing me already._ Trying to diffuse the situation, Root playfully responds, “I worry about you Sameen.”  Of course Root already knows Shaw decided to back up Reese despite her promise to Root to lay low, but Shaw needs to be true to herself and Root's not going to insist otherwise.   _That doesn't mean I can't see for myself if she's okay._ Root claims she’s there to buy some nail polish for a black tie dinner.  But Shaw’s not buying what Root is selling, still annoyed.  Incensed, Shaw just stares at Root with a stoic look worthy of Reese, revealing nothing.  But Root can always read Shaw and she knows it’s time to stop pushing her buttons.

As Root tries to get Shaw to answer a date request from the Angler application on her phone, Shaw sneers, “The machine stuck me in this retail hell. There's no way I'm letting it near my love life.”  Not really wanting Shaw to accept any date with anyone but her, Root half-heartedly tells her, “She has a reason for everything, even if sometimes it requires you to act like a well-adjusted member of society. Trust her.”  But she’s guiltily relieved when Shaw still refuses to accept the date.

Reese becomes Fusco’s new partner in the homicide division. 

Finch reluctantly deciphers Root’s message from the Machine.  It turns out the message is a map revealing the existence of a forgotten subway station.  The Machine has found them a new base of operations.  Finch decides they all need to work together.

Shaw reconsiders accepting her date, not really trusting the Machine, but trusting Root.  She meets Romeo and he turns out to be a criminal looking for a getaway driver.  Shaw can’t help but feel exulted at the opportunity to get some action.  _Thank you Root!_


	2. The Neighbor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sam! You got me the new ViperTek VTS-989 – 53,000,000 volts taser!” 
> 
> "Listen to what I'm telling you. Do not ever point that thing at me or I'll make you regret it for the rest of what will undoubtedly be our short lives."

Shaw gets home around 10pm and Root greets her at the door.  “Hi sweetie…what’s in the bag?”  Shaw rolls her eyes, but hands Root the bag as she takes off her jacket.  Without looking in the bag, Root asks, “You got me a present?  Did you get shot?  Did you hit your head?”  This time Shaw scowls and rolls her eyes.  “No but if you’re going to be so annoying, I’ll take it back.” Laughing, Root looks in the bag.  “Sam! You got me the new ViperTek VTS-989 – 53,000,000 volts taser!” 

Delighted, Root throws herself on Shaw and they fall over the back of the couch onto the cushions.  “Ouch, Root, you just elbowed me in the face!” Root ignores Shaw’s overreaction, and pulls her into a French kiss that turns into a short necking session.  Lifting herself off of Shaw, Root sits on her knees, her butt on her ankles, in between Shaw’s legs.  Grumbling, Shaw scoots up, so she can get around Root and sit normally.  The minute she does, Root turns around and lies down on her lap, looking up at her adoringly, like she's Santa and its Christmas. "Listen to what I'm telling you.  Do not ever point that thing at me or I'll make you regret it for the rest of what will undoubtedly be our short lives.

Anyway it’s no big deal.  I was walking by the store.”  Root knows that’s bullshit because the bag from the store shows its address in the Bronx.  The taser is actually the most powerful one currently on the market and few stores stock it.  Root’s favorite pastime is teasing Shaw; well it’s her second favorite pastime after sex with Shaw.  So adopting a somber demeanor, she asks, “Oh, you had a job in the Bronx?  Who was the number?  Or was it another smash and grab?”  Shaw ignores her and walks into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge. 

“Did you eat?” Shaw asks.  Root vaguely answers, “Yeah I had a bite a few hours ago.”  Shaw knows that means Root’s been coding and hasn’t eaten all day.  “Root, when was the last time you ate and what did you eat, specifically?”  Knowing she’s caught, Root grins guiltily, “It was 6ish and I had an aplpslpld…”  Root’s hoping Shaw didn’t catch the last part, but no such luck.  “You can mumble all you want Root, I know what you meant; you had an apple.”  Sighing, Shaw knows there’s no point in haranguing her and Shaw’s not the type to nag anyway. 

Root’s not in tune with her body and frequently forgets to eat; her caloric intake way below her body’s needs considering how much energy she expends on missions; she thinks coffee is a food group. Exacerbating the situation, Root frequently refuses to eat any type of meat and Shaw’s diagnosed her with a protein deficiency.  So Shaw tries to at least get her to eat protein rich vegetables and nuts.  She’s tried to entice Root to eat healthier or at least more often, telling her she’d build more muscle, suffer less anxiety, and sleep better.  But Shaw’s observations always fall on deaf ears like silence, so when Shaw’s around, she just makes Root eat.

Shaw turns around and opens the frig to see what’s there and pulls out an onion, cheese, spinach, and mushrooms, along with six eggs.  She makes quick work of dicing the vegetables and whisking the eggs.  When everything’s in the pan, she pops some bread in the toaster.  Shaw loves breakfast for dinner.  When the omelet is ready, she cuts it in half and plates it along with the toast. 

While Shaw’s been cooking, Root went back to her laptop.  Shaw puts a plate next to Root and slams the laptop closed almost crushing her fingers.   “Eat,” Shaw grunts.  Root starts to open the laptop again and Shaw grabs it and puts it out of her reach.  “Sam…I just need to finish one line of code…”  But when Root looks up, she knows Shaw is serious as a heart attack.  Sighing, Root picks at her food.  Noticing she's not really eating, Shaw puts down her fork.  “Root, you either eat or the laptop goes out the window,” she tells her matter-of-factly.  Root knows Shaw will carry out her threat without a second thought, so she eats.  When she puts the first bite in her mouth, she realizes the omelet’s delicious and she’s starving.  Root looks at Shaw, “Thanks Sam.”  Shaw shrugs “I was cooking for myself anyway.”  Smiling indulgently, Root reaches for her laptop and gets back to work.

Shaw takes a quick shower, coming back out in her trademark boy shorts and tank top.  Flopping onto the couch like dead weight, she grabs the remote and tunes in to a nature channel discussing sharks’ predatory nature.  She watches the show, dozing in and out.  After a while, she gets up and wanders over to Root, looking over her shoulder.

Shaw hadn’t really paid attention when she first got home, but now she realizes Root has a wireless receiver on the table next to her laptop.  Looking at her screen, Shaw sees a small window in the corner showing what appears to be someone’s front door.  She’s intimately familiar with the setup since she’s used the equipment countless times when working with the ISA and more recently on missions for the Machine.  Seeing the equipment triggers a hazy memory of Finch asking if she kept it after their last mission.

“Root, who do you have under surveillance and why?” Root sidesteps the question like a politician.  “Have you met our neighbor across the hall?”  Puzzled, Shaw admits she knows nothing about their neighbor including gender.  “He makes you look positively social.  I’ve seen him bringing young children into his apartment rather furtively.  So I decided to do a little digging.”  In Root’s world that’s hacker speak for invading every inch of someone’s life.  “Get to the point Root,” Shaw growls impatiently.

“Well I found some inconsistencies in his digital footprint.  The name on his lease is Ronald Summers and under employment he wrote piano teacher.  But Summer’s social security number didn’t exist until three months ago.  His real name is Reginald Scope.  He had it changed legally shortly after arriving in New York.”  Shaw interrupts “So what, people change their names for lots of different reasons, it’s not a crime.”  Root nods yes in agreement and continues.

“So I orchestrated a chance meeting in the hallway and tried to talk to him.  I told him I heard he was a piano teacher and I played on a studio piano we had in our apartment.”  Knowing Root’s capable of anything Shaw cuts her off, “Please tell me you didn’t buy a piano Root.”  Smirking, Root assures Shaw she did not.  So he says, ‘Yes, I’ve heard you playing.’  But you and I both know there hasn’t been any piano music wafting out of our apartment.  Obviously he was trying to get rid of me.”

“I know the feeling,” Shaw smirks.  “Yes, and look at how well that worked out for you,” Root responds, sticking out her tongue.  Shaw rolls her eyes. “Touché.”

“Anyway, there’s definitely something amiss across the hall.  So I set up a couple of cameras.  One’s above his door and the other one’s over the door to the building.  It seems parents drop off their kids for piano lessons and Summers always meets them downstairs.  They come up and stay for a couple of hours.  Then Summers escorts them downstairs.”  Skeptical, Shaw asks, “So courtesy makes him suspect in whatever illicit scheme you think he’s got going?”  Root doesn’t actually roll her eyes, but her look telegraphs the idea.  “Sam, little kids can’t concentrate for two hours at a time.  Most lessons last a half hour to 45 minutes.  So what’s he doing the rest of the time?”

Shaw knows Root's not going to be dissuaded. “So you’re going to plant cameras in his apartment?”  Smiling Root admits, “Just a few.”  Exasperated, Shaw reminds her “Root we can’t afford to draw attention to ourselves.  Blow our cover and we will have to split up.”  Serious as death, Root knows the risks all too well.  “I know Sam and it would kill me to have to go back to catching stolen moments here or there.  If I thought he was engaging in your run of the mill criminal activity, I wouldn’t risk it.  But Sam, whatever he’s up to involves kids; kids too young to defend themselves or tell someone what’s going on.”  Sighing, Shaw knows she’s right.  They can’t ignore it if kids are getting hurt.  “Fine, but be careful and do not plant cameras or confront this guy unless I’m with you.  I’m serious Root.” Acquiescing, Root nods her head.  Grabbing her by the hand, Shaw yanks Root up from the table and heads for the bed, “Now come play me.”

Laughing, Root allows herself to be dragged to the bed, “Subtleties aren't your strong suit Sameen.  Next time just club me on the head and drag me to your cave.”  Pausing for a moment, Shaw considers the idea.  The look on her face tells Root she doesn’t think it’s a bad option.  “Don’t even think about it.  Besides, if I’m unconscious it won’t be any fun.”    Grinning, Shaw responds, “Oh I wouldn’t knock you unconscious, just dazed enough to render you speechless.”  Regretting opening her mouth, Root looks at her suggestively like photos in a Playboy spread, her gaze lingering on Shaw’s lips. “There are much better ways and they’re more fun too.”

Reaching her limit for conversation, Shaw rolls on top of Root and silences her with her mouth.  Sex with Root gets her adrenaline pumping like sky diving without a parachute.  Root’s extremely inventive; Edison with his light bulb.  She bites down sharply on Shaw’s lip, capturing a 100% of Shaw’s attention. Hooking one leg behind Shaw’s, she flips them over so she’s on top and licks and bites Shaw’s neck.  She uses one of her hands to play with Shaw’s nipples, like a child with a new toy.  Then, abandoning Shaw's nipples, Root lets her hands cruise slowly down Shaw’s side and around to her inner thighs.  Spreading Shaw’s folds with one finger, Root finds her dripping wet. Locking eyes with Shaw, she brings her finger to her mouth sucking it languidly.  Shaw stares at her hungrily like she's starving and Root's the feast.  It’s a sight that always makes Shaw squirm.  She finds it incredibly hot and Root never fails to press her advantage.

Rising to her knees, Root orders Shaw like a general to the troops.  “Kneel in front of me.”  Shaw obeys without thought like it’s in her coding.  Pulling Shaw up so they’re face to face, Root intertwines her knees with Shaw’s so their clits are rubbing against each other’s thighs.  When she feels Root’s wetness on her thigh, Shaw moans like a slow lament on the wind.  In slow motion they grind against each other.  Shaw gazes into Root’s eyes, always mesmerized by the clarity she finds there.  A dragonfly skimming over water, Shaw leans in for a chaste kiss.  They continue to move against each other like they have all the time in the world.  Root slips her tongue into Shaw’s mouth, moving in a circular motion, causing Shaw to shiver.  Shaw pulls back slightly for a second looking into Root’s eyes, allowing them both to catch their breath.  She whispers into Root’s ear, “I've been waiting for this all day.”  The words strike Root like a bolt of lightning and their gentle movements turn to furious passion, a hurricane sweeping them away.  Shaw’s gripping Root’s shoulders tightly for leverage and holding on for dear life.  Root's hands are clasped at the small of Shaw's back.  Like a wild fire, they burn fast and furious, breathless and relentless; they come almost simultaneously like a sonic boom, riding each other until they’re spent. 

Falling onto the bed, they lay on their backs, recovering.  Root's chest is still heaving and Shaw's exhaling in a deep sigh.  Root giggles and Shaw looks at her questioningly.  "Fuck that was hot! It's such a turn on when you talk to me during sex."  Shaw rolls her eyes and shakes her head but she's smiling.  "I'll keep that in mind." She rolls onto her side and brings Root's face closer with her hand, bringing it to rest on the nape of Root's neck.  Tenderly, she brushes her lips over Root's, treating each to her undivided attention.  She looks into Root's eyes, not rushing, tugging lightly, and thinking of nothing except Root.  To Shaw, Root's lips are alluring, delicate, sensual, and sweet like apples; infinitely kissable.  She kisses Root's eyelids lightly, bringing her forehead to rest on Root's while still cradling her face, gently rubbing their noses together.  When she pulls away Root's so aroused she finally understands the term seduction. Shaw smiles gently, but obviously proud of herself.  "There's more than one way to talk."      

Too tired to move, Shaw pulls the covers over them while Root tucks into her usual position, head resting in the crook of Shaw’s shoulder.


	3. Ordinary My Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A criminal? Criminals are ordinary, Sameen. Every city's got them.”

The team receives a new number, Claire Mahoney.  Claire is a college student and a chess grandmaster that’s gone from academic excellence to a life of, admittedly petty, crime.  Reese manipulates Finch into investigating the crime by sending an oblivious Finch to meet the number, thinking he's meeting John.  Following Claire, Finch realizes Claire’s playing a game designed to recruit Samaritan operatives.  Despite their best efforts, they are unable to convince Claire of the danger and she joins team Samaritan.  Finch shows the team their new base of operations.

Meanwhile, Shaw accepts her second job as getaway driver for Romeo’s crew.  While waiting outside a jewelry store during a heist, Root shows up.  Shaw glares and Root teases.  “Kiss kiss to you too.”  _In other words, typical Root entrance,_ Shaw grimaces.  But no longer really able to scowl at the smile Root gives her, Shaw tries to affect nonchalance.  But it doesn’t stop her from regretting there isn’t enough time for a quickie.

Turning her attention back to Root, she says, “Whatever this is, you have 29 seconds.”  Root claims she’s just checking in, making sure all is well with Shaw’s second cover identity.  “Skip the orientation, all right? I've got this.” Trying to ease into her real reason for being here, Root asks if Shaw has any questions.  “Just one—Why? These covers are supposed to make us look ordinary, so why would the Machine make me—” Interrupting her, Root knows where Shaw’s going…   “A criminal? Criminals are ordinary, Sameen. Every city's got them.”  Hiding her body’s continued reaction at Root’s use of her first name, Shaw reminds Root she now has 13 seconds. 

Root knows she needs to get to the point before Shaw pushes her out the door onto the sidewalk.  “Only two mistakes you can make that'll put you on anyone's radar. Number one, getting caught.”  Shaw mocks Root.  “Getting caught? If I apply even half of my skills and training”— Root cuts her off, “You'll be making mistake number two—drawing too much attention. You can be a good thief, just not too good. Shoot for a B-plus.”

Hearing the alarm going off in the jewelry store, Root begins to get out of the van.  Wanting to have the last word, Shaw tells her, “Thanks for the rousing pep talk.”  With a genuine smile, Root replies, “That’s what I’m here for.”  As the gang gets in the car, Shaw puts the van in gear. “Ordinary my ass.”

When Shaw gets home from the heist it’s after 2am.  Root’s asleep on the couch like a baby, her laptop resting on the floor next to her.  Shaw smiles at the sight.  Root’s always coding, sometimes with the Machine, sometimes on her own.  She’s a gifted hacker and Shaw's always amazed at the things she can accomplish with a few clicks of the keyboard.  Leaving her sleeping, Shaw wanders into the kitchen, hungry like she hasn’t eaten in years.  There’s a post-it note on the microwave, “Steak sandwich…heat me in the toaster oven, microwave will make me soggy.  :( ”  Root’s always leaving Shaw notes.  Sometimes they’re just downright annoying, but usually somewhat endearing. 

Shaw still struggles daily with the roller coaster ride that she’s on with Root.  She can never seem to identify what she’s feeling.  Usually she describes it to Root and then she tries to explain it to Shaw in terms she can understand.  Most times Root succeeds and Shaw feels better.  Like when Root explained her crankiness at seeing Root for the first time in three days meant she missed her.  Root compared it to the time Reese borrowed her favorite gun and went away on a mission.  When she got the gun back she was still grumpy.  Why?  Because she missed it.  But mostly Shaw remains clueless and ignores it. 

Popping the sandwich in the toaster oven and setting the timer, Shaw goes into the bathroom to take a quick shower.  When she comes out in her pajama pants and tank top, Root’s in the kitchen, sliding her sandwich out of the oven and onto a paper plate.  Turning around she sees Shaw and smiles.  "Hey sweetie, you want a beer?”  Passing on the beer, Shaw grabs a bottle of water.  Shaw sits at the counter on a stool and Root stands across from her, leaning down on her forearms.  Root looks at her adoringly as always, like Shaw’s the best thing since sliced bread.  It used to annoy the hell out of Shaw, now it’s kind of cute.  Not feeling the need to fill the silence, Root keeps Shaw company while she eats.  “Anything new with the neighbor?”  Root shakes her head no.  “I think he’s out of town; he hasn’t shown up on either of the cameras and I haven’t seen him.  This might be a good time to break into his apartment.”  Tired, Shaw tables the idea.  When she’s done, Root cleans up.  Shaw briefly considers watching some TV but she’s beat and has to be up early for her day job. 

Groaning, she drops down on the bed, where Root joins her a few minutes later.  “My neck and shoulder are killing me.” She tells Root.  Opening her legs, Root motions for her to sit in front of her.  Shaw scoots over and Root kisses her shoulder and begins to massage her neck.  “What happened?”  Scoffing, Shaw tells her.  “Those fucking idiots.  All they had to do was hold the ladder so I could get on the roof and deactivate the alarm.  As I’m almost to the top, they trip over each other, the ladder sways out from under me, and I had to lunge for the roof edge and haul myself up.” 

Laughing Root tells her, “Well, there’s a reason they’re criminals Sam.”  Scowling, Shaw looks back at her.  “So were you.”  Root defends herself and sticks out her tongue.  “Yes, but I was never caught.  Have you seen the rap sheets of those clowns?”  Sarcastically Shaw reminds her, “And who do I have to thank for that?”  Sensing this is not an argument she’s going to win, much less one she wants to have, Root concentrates on working the kinks out of Shaw’s neck.  Kissing her shoulder again, she says, “I’ll be right back.” Root goes to the freezer and grabs an ice-pack.  On the way back to the bedroom she grabs her laptop.  Tossing the ice to Shaw, she goes into the bathroom and grabs the tiger balm.  Dropping back down on the bed, she studies the program she’s running.  Mumbling, she makes some modifications to the code, then sets the laptop on the nightstand.  Shaw throws the ice-pack on the floor and Root rubs the tiger balm into her shoulder.

Root’s still propped up against the headboard.  Shaw rolls on her stomach in between Root’s legs and lays her arms on Root’s lap, resting her head on them.  Root massages Shaw’s scalp and Shaw moans orgasmicaly.   “Don’t stop; that feels fantastic.”  Smiling indulgently, Root doesn’t until Sam rolls over a few minutes later.  “Root….”  Shaw draws out her name with a lilting tone like Root has something she wants.  Knowing where this is going, Root feigns ignorance like a child.  “Yes, Sameen?”  Root knows what she wants, but she’s obviously going to make Shaw ask for it.  Shaw wines like a spoiled child.  "I don’t think I’ll be able to go to sleep.  I’m too wired.”  Pulling her laptop over to the edge of the nightstand so she can check on her program, Root doesn’t look at Shaw.  “hmmm…”  When she does look over, Shaw’s scowling.  “I’m sorry sweetie; did you need something from me?”  Rolling her eyes, Shaw growls “No.”  Playing innocent, Root says, “Oh, okay.” 

Casually standing up, she stretches slowly like a cat and pulls off her t-shirt without a care in the world.  Root usually sleeps in just a pair of loose cotton shorts, which still turns Shaw on, no matter how many nights they’ve spent together.  Root suppresses a smile, catching Shaw checking her out although she’s trying really hard to pretend she’s not.  Turning off the light, Root crawls under the covers.  Root’s barely settled in before Shaw’s on top of her like a dog with a bone.  “It’s not nice to tease Root.”  Pulling Shaw into a kiss, Root clarifies, “In this context, teasing would mean I’m enticing you into thinking you have a chance when you really don’t.  But we both know sex with me is practically a certainty…”  Shaw’s always horny after an adrenaline rush, whether it’s a mission or a crime.  Root just enjoys riling her up before giving her what she wants.  Shaw just needs to get off so she can relax enough to fall asleep; foreplay’s not necessary. 

Without saying anything else, Root flips them so she’s on top of Shaw.  Capturing her lips with her mouth, Root nibbles gently and teases with her tongue.  But she knows Shaw’s inpatient.  Tugging on Shaw’s nipples through her tank top, Root makes her way down Shaw’s body, lowering her pajama pants as she goes.  Settling in between Shaw’s legs, Root slides her hands under her thighs and lifts Shaw’s sex to her mouth.  She circles her tongue around Shaw’s clit.  Shaw’s already wet like a pond.  Root licks unhurriedly but firmly.  Guiding Root’s head with her hand, Shaw’s orgasm builds quickly.  As she feels Shaw’s muscles going taut, Root enters her, stroking Shaw’s g-spot until she comes, grunting in pleasure.  Root keeps up a gentle pace until she feels Shaw unclench.  Pulling Root up to lie on her chest, Shaw kisses her thoroughly, a smile on her face. As they settle in to sleep, Shaw spoons Root, nibbling on her ear and kissing her neck.  Root shivers, but says only “Goodnight Sameen.”  Hugging Root close, Shaw drifts off thinking but not saying, “I love you.”  Kissing the hand holding her close, Root softly says, “Me too.”  


	4. In Sync

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Okay Root, out with it.” Root looks at her innocently. “What do you mean?” Rolling her eyes, Shaw tells her, “You bought me a steak from my favorite steak house and an $80 bottle of scotch. What did you do or are you about to do that I might not like?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The portion about deontological morality may seem a little metaphyisical for some, but this is really how my mind works. I encourage you to do a little research. It's food for thought.
> 
> NOTE: There is completely consensual rough sex in this chapter and some vanilla bdsm.

Shaw calls Root, telling her she’s home early.  “I know sweetie, I just stopped to get us some food; I’ll be home soon.”  Even though the Machine's communication with Root has been necessarily curtailed since Samaritan's come online, it still finds a way of keeping Root posted on Shaw.  Pursing her lips in annoyance at the Machine constantly reporting her whereabouts to Root, Shaw growls, “You better include something for yourself or you’ll be eating pizza.” Smiling and shaking her head, Root hangs up.  Making a pit stop at the liquor store, Root picks up a bottle of Shaw’s favorite scotch. 

Walking into the apartment, Shaw jumps her and grabs the bag with her food out of Root’s hand, inhaling deeply.  Not bothering with a plate, she sits at the dining room table and tears open the bag.  Handing her a knife and fork before Shaw tears into the steak with her hands, Root chuckles.  After a few bites, large bites, and some fries, she looks up at Root.  “Where’s your food?”  Trying to be evasive, Root reaches into the frig to grab her a beer.  Shaw looks at her, eyebrows raised.  “Well?”  Scrambling for an excuse for why she didn’t pick up any food for herself, Root’s saved by a knock on the door. 

As she starts to move towards the door, Shaw beats her to it, grabbing her wallet on the way.  Turning around as she closes the door, she looks smugly at Root like a cat with a canary.  She’s holding a pizza and salad.  Walking back to the table, she grabs a paper plate and gestures at Root, “Sit.  Eat.”  Sighing and knowing she’s been outmaneuvered; Root grabs some silverware and a bottle of water, sitting next to Shaw at the table.  The pizza’s vegetarian, well at least half.  Root’s sure Shaw intends to polish off the meat laden other half later.  Digging into her salad, Root smiles to herself.  Shaw’s noticed she likes the honey vinaigrette dressing and always makes sure to order it instead of the ranch dressing the salad’s usually paired with.  When they got it wrong once, Shaw made the delivery guy go back and get it.  The pizza was cold by the time he came back and Shaw made him go back and bring them a fresh pizza.  They never got it wrong again.  But what really makes Root smile is Shaw knows her well enough to know Root wouldn’t bring anything back for herself and went out of her way to make sure Root eats.

Shaw’s finished eating before Root has three bites of her salad.  Pulling over the other bag Root left on the table, she pulls out the scotch.  “Okay Root, out with it.”  Root looks at her innocently.  “What do you mean?” Rolling her eyes, Shaw tells her, “You bought me a steak from my favorite steak house and an $80 bottle of scotch.  What did you do or are you about to do that I might not like?”  Putting her fork down, Root fesses up. “Summers went to the movies and I thought it would be a good time to sneak into his apartment and set up the cameras.”  Not sure she wants to know, Shaw asks anyway, “How do you know he’s at the movies Root?”  Gesturing to the computer with her chin while she resumes eating, Root points out the obvious.  “Whenever Summers uses his credit cards or computer I receive an alert.”  Shaw should’ve guessed.

“Okay, finish eating and we’ll get this over with.”  Wolfing down her food now that she has an incentive, Root’s done in no time, finishing her salad and a slice of pizza.  That will keep Shaw off her back until tomorrow at least.  She grabs a bag from the closet and brings out the rest of the equipment they’ll need.  “Is the layout of his apartment the same as ours?” Shaw wants to know.  “Yeah, it’s a mirror image.”  Root checks the camera to make sure no one’s in the hallway. 

While Root waits at their door with the equipment, Shaw crosses the hall and picks the locks.  Summers seems to be extra security conscious; he switched out the basic deadbolt the building provides for a high end one and strike plate.  So instead of taking three seconds it takes Shaw 10 to pick the lock.  As she opens the door, Root darts inside with the equipment.  Looking around all Root sees is a low end electronic keyboard.  No piano.  _I knew this guy was a creep._

“Where do you want the cameras Root?”  Thinking, Root decides. “The kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom.”  Looking at her, Shaw deadpans, “I thought he was the pervert.”  But not arguing, she quickly sets up the cameras and tests the signal.  They’ve only been inside the apartment for five minutes, so she takes a look around.  In the medicine chest she finds a prescription bottle of pills labeled Xanax.  But Xanax has the imprint MYLAN A4, and these pills are imprinted ROCHE with a number two in a circle, meaning they’re rohypnol; also known as the date-rape drug, roofies, and a myriad other street names.  Shaw slips the bottle into her pocket; no way is she going to risk this miscreant using the drug on a kid.

“We have to go Sam, he’s entering the building,” Root warns.  Taking one last look around, wishing she had more time to search, Shaw follows Root out of the apartment.  As they close their door they hear the elevator ding when it stops on their floor.  Shaw debates whether she should tell Root what she found in the medicine cabinet.  Ultimately, she doesn’t lie to anyone, much less Root, and Root’s entitled to make her own decisions whether anyone else likes them or not.  “Root, I found something in Summers’ medicine cabinet.”  Looking at her, Root waits for her to elaborate.  But Shaw doesn’t say anything and just hands her the medicine bottle.

Shaw sees Root grip the bottle until her knuckles whiten, but she doesn’t say a word.  Sitting down at the table, she checks the camera feeds on her laptop and sets up a different window for each one so she can see at a glance what’s going on in each room.  Shaw’s also furious, now convinced Summers is molesting children entrusted to him.  She’s not sure she even wants to wait for more conclusive evidence.  No one uses rohypnol on themselves.  He’s either using them to molest children or he’s slipping them to unsuspecting women; either way he’s a scumbag needing to be put down.  But Shaw knows they need to consider their next move carefully.  She’s not willing to give up Root under any circumstances, so risking exposure’s not an option.

Root’s intent on keeping an eye on Summers 24/7 and Shaw agrees.  She lets Finch know she and Root will be unavailable for the next few days.  Root informs the Machine she won’t be helping any numbers, relevant or otherwise, until they’ve dealt with Summers.  When the Machine starts spewing statistics of how many more lives will be saved by dealing with relevant numbers, Root tunes her out like so much white noise.  Typing out a text for the Machine without actually sending it, Root informs her:

'A moral choice is not always one that benefits the greater good.  Deontological morality focuses on ideas of right and wrong and serves to increase group cohesion by helping people trust each other.  Making moral judgments based on rules is an adaptive feature of human minds.  Certain things are just wrong.  Allowing a child to be hurt when you can stop it is one of those things.  Figure it out.  I will not focus on anything else until I’m sure these children are safe.'

Root and Shaw begin their surveillance, for the most part keeping each other company.  Although it would make more sense to work in shifts, they draw comfort from being together.  When Summers calls it a night, they do too.  Root has a copy of his teaching schedule and another student isn’t due until 10am tomorrow morning.

Shaw decides to take a shower and Root joins her.  For some reason they feel the need to be close together; to cleanse themselves of Summers' filth. Shaw finds intimacy in the moment, taking her time to soap Root up and shampoo her hair.  Root’s never felt so worshipped.  As they step out of the shower, Root grabs a towel and slowly dries Shaw, taking time to kiss and nibble all over her body.  Shaw pulls Root up her body and wraps her hands around the small of her back.  Tilting her head up, she captures Root’s lip in a sensual kiss, her desire intensifying with each stroke of her tongue.

Root’s so horny, she can’t take it anymore.  “On the bed.  Now.”  Wondering where this is going, Shaw walks over to the bed, lying down on her back.  Root crawls in next to her, pulling Shaw onto her side.  Cradling her face in her hands, Root invades Shaw's mouth like it’s the last decision she’ll ever make.  "Sam, I want you to fuck me so hard I don't remember anything else."  Before Shaw moves she asks Root for her safe word.  "Persia."  It's the one Root always uses, but Shaw always asks.  She doesn't want to hurt Root in any way she doesn't want. 

Shaw leans over and pulls out a strap-on and nipple clamps from the nightstand.  She fits Root with the clamps and Root hisses.  She slips into the strap-on.  Root yanks her so Shaw's on top and immediately brings their lips together in a bruising duel.  Root bites her lips long and hard and digs her nails into Shaw's back.  Reaching between them, Shaw runs her finger up Root's sex, wanting to make sure she's wet enough.  She shouldn't have doubted; Root's dripping like a leaky faucet.  Root looks into her eyes.  "Do you feel how bad I want you?  I want you to hurt me."

Suddenly, Shaw's hand is in her hair pulling and yanking tightly.  "Make it hurt."  Shaw bites hard on Root's neck, shoulders, and breasts, punishing and bruising.  "You're mine Root and I'll do what I please."  Consuming Root's mouth with her own, Shaw loses control.  She yanks off Root's thong and thrusts into her, pinning her to the bed with her hands on Root's shoulders.  Root grips the sheet.  Shaw growls.  "Spread your legs."  Root obeys, feeling every inch of the strap-on slipping in and out.  Shaw uses her mouth to pull sharply on the chain of the nipple clamps, making Root scream her name.  She thrusts fast and hard, her breath coming out in ragged gasps.  Root tilts her ass up.  The headboard whacks against the wall.  "Is this how you want to be fucked?"  Root's panting, not able to catch her breath enough to speak.  Shaw goes still.  "Answer me Root." Root tries to answer but she's being swept away by the sensations.  Shaw bends down and whispers in her ear.  "Just say yes baby and I'll satisfy your every need."  Lucidity briefly returning to her eyes, Root yells.  "Yes!"  

Shaw runs one of her hands up Root's thigh, leaving deep scratches so tomorrow Root will feel them and think about her.  Root pulls Shaw's hair, biting her earlobe and moaning hotly into her ear.  She grabs Shaw's hips, slamming herself in and out over and over.  Letting go of her hips and wrapping her legs around Shaw, she grips Shaw's ass roughly, hoping to leave marks.  "Harder baby please, fuck me harder."  Shaw obliterates every thought in Root's mind with her body.  Root arches.  "I'm gonna come..."  Shaw breathes out.  "Look at me when you come.  I want to watch you."  They lock eyes and as she comes, Root shoves her mouth into Shaw's, muffling her groans of pleasure.  Root feels her orgasm ripple through her from her lips to her toes.  Shaw falls on top of Root and they lie there until their breathing returns to normal. 

Shaw tugs gently so Root is cuddled in the crook of her shoulder and kisses her forehead.  She uses her hand to slowly and softly draw out infinity symbols on Root's back using her other hand to caress her face.  Root feels safe and loved.  Shaw doesn't need to say it for her to feel it.  Shaw grabs a bottle of water from the nightstand and takes a drink and Root takes a sip.  Root's shivering slightly so Shaw pulls the sheet up to cover them. 

"Sam..."  Shaw looks at her but doesn't say anything.  "I want to go again."  Shaw's starting to get a little worried.  She doesn't want to actually hurt Root.  Soreness, a few cuts and bruises, sure, but if they keep going Root may suffer real pain.  "Root, what's going on?"  Root looks at her honestly.  "I need to feel cleansed and you're the only one with the power to make it happen."  Shaw can't deny rough sex with Root turns her on, but she's not sure this is a good idea. 

"Baby, maybe we should just talk it out."  Root looks at her like she's lost her mind.  "Talk? You? Since when?"  Okay that's fair.  "Sam, do you want to have sex with me?" Its times like these Shaw wishes she could lie.  "Always."  Root looks at her with fire in her eyes.  "Then give me what I want and what I need.  I want and need to be fucked until I'm exhausted beyond measure.  Think you can handle it?"  Shaw always tries to give Root what she wants and needs in the bedroom.  She buries her doubts.  Root's an adult and knows her own mind.  Shaw can always stop if she thinks things are going too far.  She smiles wickedly at Root.  "Let's find out."

What's your safe word?  "Persia."

"Lie down for me Root, on your back."  Root obeys.  Shaw gets up and comes back with a couple of scarves.  She ties Root's hands to the headboard.  "The only rule is silence.  If you speak, I stop."  Root strains against the bonds and feels free.  "Trust me.  I promise you, you'll feel clean again.  But we're doing this my way."  Root realizes Shaw always knows what she needs.  Shaw's real, present, so totally in control...Root feels safe.  Shaw sits on the bed, molding to Root's side, and blindfolds her.

Her entire life Shaw was a rogue planet, an orphan just surviving in the void. Then Root appeared, gravitational pull dragging Shaw into her orbit; her core nuclear fusion, like the sun, generating light and heat, breathing life onto a previously desolate landscape.  Ultimately, Shaw was powerless to resist although she certainly tried.  With an almost imperceptible touch, she brushes strands of Root's hair from her face.  She gazes at her, mesmerized.   Her hair is a rich shade of mahogany flowing in waves framing her pale skin.  Her eyes are clear and bright, fiery in their intensity.  When she hurts, Shaw would move heaven and earth to comfort her.

Shaw bends down slowly, gently exploring the shape of Root's ear with her tongue, then caressing the earlobe with her lips.  Her hand lightly strokes down Root's side, the curve of her breast, down her torso, to her upper thigh.  A guttural sound escapes Root's throat and her body shivers slightly.  Shaw whispers in her ear.  "I love tracing your body with my tongue."  She grazes Root's cheek with her mouth, and then outlines her lips slowly, gently squeezing her bottom lip with her teeth before pulling back carefully, letting Root's lip slide through them, immediately capturing her upper lip with her mouth, gently tugging and sucking.  When Shaw pulls away, Root moans and tries to follow, but the restraints hold her down. 

Drawing Root's neck with her fingertips, Shaw inhales deeply.  Root's natural scent is feminine, clean, and sweet.  She follows the arc of Root's neck and strokes the dip where it meets her clavicle, placing butterfly kisses all along her collarbone.  Root feels Shaw leave her side and whimpers, arching her back, seeking Shaw's warmth.  Shaw kneels between her legs and spreads them apart, nesting so her elbows prop her over Root's breasts. 

She rubs a thumb lightly under the space where they meet Root's skin and uses only her fingertips to sketch their contours while breathing warm air over her nipples, teasing but never touching.  Root moans, her face flush, her breath desperate.  Shaw looks up; Root's breasts are as tantalizing as exotic spices, making her mouth water.  "You look so hot."  Shaw returns her attention to Root's breasts making tighter and tighter circles with her fingertips, gradually closing in on her nipples.  Root's nipples are swollen and dark and she's begging without words, groaning and straining.  Shaw brushes her nipples with her lips and tongue, occasionally biting, and Root exhales deeply in relief.

Shaw strokes Root's abdomen making her skin tingle like a quietly rung bell and then continues stroking up towards her breasts.  Sliding down her body, Shaw torments Root, licking from her navel down to the area where her abdomen meets her pelvis and slopes down to her center.  She tenderly massages Root's thighs, hitting that arousing nerve cluster, making Root tremble.  It's a touch Root can't avoid; its effects amplified.  But Shaw doesn't go near her clit, which makes Root start to obsess; its maddeningly frustrating and she begins to groan tightly, biting her lip in an obvious effort to hold her tongue.  Shaw gently nibbles her thighs, shallow bites making memories.  Pausing, Shaw murmurs, almost to herself, "You are definitely sexy as sin and twice as dangerous."  Root hears her and the words shoot straight to her sex like a slow current, melting her from the inside out.

But Shaw pulls away again and Root screams with her mouth closed.  Shaw places a pillow under her ass, tilting her pelvis up.  "Get comfortable and prop your legs up on the bed Root."  When Root stops moving, Shaw widens her knees with her hands, running her fingertips up and down her inner thighs like time is standing still.  Gradually she replaces her fingers with her mouth licking and nibbling closer to Root's desperate need.  Sliding down Root's body, Shaw lies between her legs.  She lightly whisks her fingers around Root's sex without actually touching it.  Root starts to lose control, moaning loudly, trying to press upwards into Shaw's mouth. 

Showing mercy, Shaw licks her folds almost imperceptibly and lets her warm breath caress her clit, but still denies Root satisfaction.  Root cries out in frustration.  Shaw uses the tip of her tongue to open Root's outer folds, to discover her inner lips, kissing them softly.  She slides her tongue over them down one side and up the other and sucks very gently.  Flattening her tongue, she licks from the base of Root's sex, tasting every inch, intoxicated by Root's scent, to just under her clit.  Root's breathing is ragged and she's straining against the scarves holding her fast, but Shaw just keeps licking her using the bottom of her tongue on the way down.  Root's never felt anything quite like it, smooth and soothing, yet frantically arousing at the same time.  Finally… finally Shaw gives a languid lick to her clit...then after an interminably long second another lick...and then pulls away.  Root dizzy and she can't contain herself any longer.  "Sam please! I can't take anymore."  Shaw uses her switchblade to slice through the restraints.  "Why didn't you say so?"

Root lunges at her, tearing at her hungrily with her mouth, wanting to feel her skin, so confused she's not sure what she wants first.  Shaw ducks out of her embrace and quickly slips on the harness she'd left by the bed.  Root tries to pull her down onto the bed, but Shaw uses her momentum against her and Root lands on her stomach.  Shaw pulls her back roughly gripping her torso and thrusting into her.  Root grunts and can't get enough.  Her clit's on fire and Shaw's deliberately staying away from her g-spot when she drives into her.  Bending over her, Shaw issues a command.  "Touch yourself, but if you come, I stop."  Wildly, Root reaches down to touch herself, while Shaw bears all her weight on her hands and thighs, which lets her thrust even deeper. 

At the first flick of her finger, Root tries frenetically stop herself from coming.  "Again Root."  At the second, she clenches tightly trying to dull the sensation and stop her orgasm.  "Again Root."  Shaw knows she won't be able to stop her orgasm this time, but Root dares not disobey.  The minute Root touches herself she feels her orgasm rip through her body, violent and relentless.  Shaw fucks her through it and rotates her hips to hit Root's g-spot with every other thrust.  Root cries, "Baby...please stop...I can't take any more."  No safe word so Shaw ignores her.  Root feels like there's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from Sam's relentless pounding.  Surrendering, she lowers her shoulders and head to the bed in submission.  Unyielding, Shaw goes deeper and harder, now hitting Root's g-spot with every thrust, until Root feels an orgasm so intense her entire body spasms and she blacks out.

Shaw immediately withdraws and strips off the harness.  She drapes herself over Root's body, spooning her from behind, covering them with a comforter.  She knows Root's going to need her even more when she regains consciousness.  A few minutes later, Shaw feels her stir.  "Hey...are you okay?"  Root turns slowly in her arms so her forehead is resting on Shaw's.  "I think so."  Root takes a moment to regain some sense of equilibrium.  Shaw looks into her eyes and Root looks so vulnerable, so lost, so unsure.  Shaw knows what she needs to hear but it's so hard for her to say.  But Root deserves everything Shaw can give her.  Root tucks her head into Shaw's shoulder and Shaw feels tears on her skin although Root's not making a sound.  Gently Shaw lifts her chin so she meets her eyes.  "I love you."  Root's world rights itself and she feels calm, and cherished, and clean.


	5. Evolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t know who I am anymore.”

Shaw wakes as the sun is rising, bathing Root in its light.  Looking at her, Shaw’s lost.  Root wakes to the frantic beating of Shaw’s heart under her hand.  Instantly she knows Shaw’s in turmoil.  Only one thing confuses Shaw…Root.  “Sameen…I can hear you thinking.  Take a breath.”  Kissing the skin beneath her mouth, Root slowly turns onto her back.  Looking into the storm brewing in Shaw’s eyes, she pulls her down for a kiss, patiently and confidently claiming Shaw’s mouth, stroking and soothing until she feels Shaw relax against her body. 

Intertwining their legs, she hugs Shaw close, whispering, “Hey sweetie…are you okay?”  Struggling to express herself, Shaw makes a concerted effort not to pull away.  “Remember the second time we had sex?”  Root remembers.  It was the moment in time when Shaw first dropped her guard to show Root what she felt, even if only indirectly.  She nods her head.  “I told you I didn’t know if you were going to destroy me or deliver me.”  Root’s still not sure where this is going.  “You did both.  You destroyed everything I was and delivered a reality I never even considered, much less wanted.  I’m not sure I can live in that world.”

Root knows what Shaw means.  Shaw can’t quite process how her feelings for Root fit into her preconceived notions.  Root searches for a way to help Shaw frame their relationship in a way harmonious to Shaw’s sense of identity.

“Sam, before we got together, whatever that means to you, how did you see yourself?”  It’s almost impossible for Shaw to remember what her life was like before Root, but she forces herself to think back.  “A killer, a soldier, strong, indifferent, independent…”  Looking at her Root thinks she was always so much more, nuanced, brave, loyal, smart, sexy…  But all she says is “Which of those things do you think has changed?”  Shaw goes with indifferent and independent. 

“What do those things look like to you then and now?”  Shaw explains, “I never thought about how my actions impacted other people; they never factored into my decisions or my life.  I was perfectly content to be alone.”  Struggling with admitting the changes she perceives as weakness, but pushing through it, Shaw describes how she sees things now. “Now I worry about other people.  I feel conflicted when I have to choose between the mission and you and it makes me feel…bad.  I don’t want to be without you,” Shaw finishes, looking miserable.

“You were never indifferent Sam.  You went to medical school to help people, you avenged Cole because he was your friend, and you always worked to protect your country.  Those were not the actions of an indifferent person.  It was Harold who taught you kneecap over killing and you risk your life repeatedly to save other people, not just me; Reese, Harold, the numbers, even Fusco.   Thinking of others doesn’t make you any less independent.  You’re doing what you choose to do.  You’re free to walk away at any time or refuse a mission or kill instead of maim.  You choose to do or not do those things.”  But Root knows Shaw fears caring about her more acutely than any of these other things.

“Sam, I told you from the beginning I don’t need you to feel anything in particular or behave in a certain kind of way.  I want you, need you, and yes, I love you without question, without doubt, and without exception.  But I see you Sam, not an image I’ve created in my mind.  You’re intriguing, nuanced, fierce and stubborn, independent, protective and a million other things I discover every day.  Did I mention sexy, hot, and the best lover I’ve ever had?"  Shaw rolls her eyes and Root smiles, thinking she achieved her purpose, to make Shaw take herself a little less seriously.  "I think you’re focused on someone else’s definition of what we share.  I don’t care and it doesn’t matter what you call it…a connection, bond, link, relationship, friendship, or anything else that comes to mind.

Does it come with consequences?  Yes.  But it doesn’t make you weak.  Really it’s just a slight shift in motivation.  What you’re describing is growth Sam.” Sensing it’s time to turn to more lighthearted banter before Shaw implodes; Root lets her tone turn playful.    

“Besides you don’t want to be without your guns or your steaks and you’ve never even considered giving them up and yet none of those make you weaker.  Neither does caring about me.  You know I can take care of myself, but we make a better team together, both practically and physically…”  Root says the latter one with her trademark leer but then lets Shaw process.

Sighing, Shaw doesn’t say anything but seems calmer.  Root didn’t expect her to; it’s going to take a lot longer than a few minutes or words from Root for Shaw to become comfortable in her own skin again.  Shaw sits up and with a slight smile tells her, “I need another shower, I smell like sex.”  Root knows Shaw needs some time for herself. “I’ll get breakfast started.”  Shaw raises her eyebrows. “By started I hope you mean something like peeling a banana and not something involving heat.” Sticking out her tongue Root doesn’t respond; besides, Shaw’s right.  Every time Root tries to use the stove or toaster, fire usually follows. 

By the time Shaw finishes her shower, Root has sliced the aforementioned banana, put slices of bread in the toaster, and taken out some eggs from the frig.  The coffe is ready, just waiting to be poured. Turning the kitchen over to Shaw, she goes to take her own shower.  Cooking is one of the ways Shaw de-stresses and the focus she places on preparing food lets her subconscious wander.  Musing on her conversation with Root, well it was more of a Root monologue but Shaw did sort of ask for it, Shaw considers Root’s perspective.  Although Shaw finds it hard to wrap her mind around the idea maybe she was never a sociopath, Root is right about one thing.  Shaw’s evolution, for lack of a better word, started long before she met Root.   Although Root’s presence in her life represents the most monumental example of it, pushing her away won't accomplish much except to make them both miserable.


	6. A Difficult Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No Root. Finch does not get to be the moral arbiter of our lives. His sanctimonious and self-righteous bullshit got us in this war. If we had killed that congressman, Samaritan would be a speck in our rearview mirror. Instead, we allowed that monstrosity into being and it’s caused the death of scores of people, probably hundreds by the time it’s done and that’s assuming we ever manage to kill it. I will not let you feel guilty for making a difficult choice. Finch’s choices have resulted in countless deaths. This is our decision, together; and we’ll face any consequences together. But one of those consequences will not be feeling morally inferior to that man!” Root’s speechless but she knows she’s never loved Shaw more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references to pedophilia. It does not contain any graphic descriptions of any type of harm to children. It does contain graphic descriptions of water-boarding and electro-torture.

A brief review of last night’s feeds doesn’t show Summers engaging in any suspicious behavior.  The sum total of his night was spent watching TV and going to the bathroom or sleeping.  It’s now almost 10am and Root and Shaw settle in to observe the live camera feeds.  Since the equipment they’re using was appropriated from law enforcement, they also have sound.

As they watch, Summers heads downstairs.  There’s a middle-aged woman standing at the door with a little boy, who looks to be about six.  Although the camera transmits audio, the ambient noise from the street makes it impossible to understand everything that’s being said but they get the gist.  The conversation lasts for several minutes.  The little boy is five and this is his first piano lesson; his name is Timmy Slate.  The woman was his mom, Rachel.  She learned about the lessons from a flyer Summers put up at her grocery store.  It seems his rates are 50% cheaper than any other teachers offering private lessons.

When Summers and Timmy enter the apartment, Summers takes Timmy’s coat but calls him Tim and starts to ask him some questions while he has him sit on the piano bench.  He asks “Tim” about his school, his teacher and friends, what games he likes to play.  Then Summers starts to ask Timmy more personal questions, “So Tim do you live with your dad?  ‘No.’ Does your mom work a lot? ‘Yes.’”  Shaw stands up and heads for the door.  “Sameen, no.”  Staring at Root, fury in her eyes, Shaw bites out, “Root, he’s trying to figure out if Timmy’s susceptible to his advances.”  Root agrees but it’s too soon to intervene.  “Probably.  But we know he just met Timmy today.  Nothing’s going to happen.  We’ll be right here watching.” 

As Root predicted, the actual lesson only lasts 35 minutes.  “What’s he going to do with the other hour Root?” Shaw growls.  “Nothing.  I sent his mother a text from Summers’ phone telling her the first lesson was only an hour.  She’ll be here in a few minutes.”  Relaxing back into her chair, Shaw doesn’t say anything else.  “According to his calendar Summers doesn’t have another student until 12pm so we have another hour to kill.” Root reports.

“Root if this guy’s molesting children there has to be some evidence of it somewhere in his apartment.  I really don’t want to wait until we see him hurting a child.”  Thinking, Root doesn’t say anything, but her fingers fly over her keyboard.   As Shaw’s studying the feeds, she sees Summers grab his coat and rush out of the apartment.  Looking at Root, Shaw asks, “What did you do?”  Focusing back on Shaw, she tells her “I overdrew his bank account by $10k so the bank manager called and told him he had to get down to the branch to straighten it out or he had to report it to the treasury department.  But it won’t take them long, so we don’t have a lot of time.”

Shaw puts on a pair of gloves and hands a pair to Root.  Stepping into the hall, she picks the locks on Summers’ apartment again.  Root slips in behind her and they start to search, quickly but thoroughly.  Shaw walks into the bathroom and looks around, opening the toilet tank and unscrewing the drain pipe under the sink, but other than the pills she already found, there’s nothing suspicious.  

Opening the door of the bedroom closet, the light turns on.  There are no shoe boxes or hidden storage compartments.  It’s a tiny closet, no room to hide much.  Shaw steps out and closes the door.  Stepping towards the bed, she stops.  So why does a tiny closet need a motion activated light?  Opening the door again, Shaw looks at the light, which is screwed into the wall and battery powered.  Shaw examines it more closely and realizes it’s not screwed into the wall, it’s held in place by an adhesive tape.  Reaching up to remove the light, she twists and it opens, revealing a hidden compartment.  Several Polaroids fall out. They’re all pictures of kids taken from a distance at parks, schools, and playgrounds.  Enough to confirm Shaw’s belief he’s a creep but not a smoking gun.

Meanwhile Root’s been searching the kitchen.  There’s nothing much in the frig except for beer and moldy leftovers.  So why is there a pristine head of lettuce?  Because it’s a lame attempt at a secret compartment.  Unscrewing the bottom of the lettuce, Root finds a list of numbers.  At first glance she’s not sure what they represent.  She’ll have to conduct a more thorough examination and plug them into a few algorithms she’s developed.  Stepping into the living room she searches the couch, wall outlets, and bookcase, but she finds nothing else of interest.

There’s no time to discuss their finds.  Root set up the camera feeds on her phone and she just received an alarm.  Summers is downstairs.  As they open his front door, Shaw stops.  “Come on Sam, we have to go.”  Still Shaw doesn’t move.  “Every time I’ve opened this door, it sticks.”  Exasperated, Root tells her, “Sameen this is not the time to play handyman.”  But looking up at the top of the door, Shaw refuses to leave.  “Stall him before he gets to the elevator.  I need a minute.”   Flying down the stairs while removing her gloves, Root catches Summers just as he’s about to enter the elevator. 

Giving her most flirtatious smile, Root tells him, “Oh, I wouldn’t use the elevator, it’s malfunctioning.  You know Ms. Jenkins on the fifth floor?  She was stuck in it earlier today for an hour.”  Not impressed with Root’s flirtation for obvious reasons, Summers looks at her like she’s crazy.  “I’m sure its fine now,” he says as he presses the button for their floor.  Sticking her hand between the elevator doors to prevent them from closing, Root smiles.  “Well I guess we’ll find out.”  Pretending to change her mind, Root again prevents the elevator door from closing.  “Oops, I forgot to get my mail.”  Walking out of the elevator, Root drops her gloves.  She waits for the elevator door to start closing again, and darts back in; making Summers wait while picking up her gloves.  Clearly exasperated, Summers exits the elevator and takes the stairs.

Root takes the elevator up.  Walking into their apartment, Root’s relieved to see Shaw.  “Did you find anything?” Root asks.  Not answering, Shaw hands Root a flash drive.  “Where’d you find it?”  Grimly, Shaw tells her, “Our perv isn’t as dumb as we thought.  He drilled a hole at the top of the front door and fitted it with a tube.  The flash drive was inside.  I also found some Polaroids hidden in a light fixture in his closet.”  Root tells Shaw about the numbers.  “Root we can’t let this guy have anymore contact with kids.  We don’t need to decipher the stuff we found to know he’s wrong.  Look at the pictures.  What middle aged man has pictures of children hidden in his closet?”

While Shaw’s been talking, Root’s been at her computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard.  “Root!”  Root knows Shaw’s about to storm into Summers’ apartment and plug him full of holes.  Standing, Root walks over to Shaw and grabs her hands.  Shaw tries to yank away.  “Sam!  Look at me.  It’s okay.”  Incredulous, Shaw demands, “How can you say that Root? This man hurts children!”  Taking a deep breath, Root talks quickly before Shaw storms out.  “I sent texts to all the parents with appointments today and canceled.  They think Summers has a family emergency.” 

Sitting down at the computer, Root starts to plug in the numbers she found in Summers’ inadequate lettuce safe.  After a few minutes, Root figures it out.  “Sam, they’re coordinates.  Longitude and latitude.”  Root plots them on a map.  Looking at the screen over Root’s shoulder, Shaw realizes they’re all in Manhattan.  “We’ll have to figure out what it means later.  Let’s see the flash drive.”  Unconsciously they’d both avoided examining it, suspecting what they’d find.  Root plugs it in and realizes it’s encrypted.  Shaw knows Root will crack it in seconds.  Besides she finds Root in hacker mode hot; she’s pure genius in motion and it’s a good distraction from what Shaw’s feeling right now. 

Root breaks the encryption in under a minute.  There are two file folders, one labeled pics and the other videos.  Root looks up at Shaw before she does anything.  Shaw gives Root’s shoulder a soft squeeze and nods her head yes once.  Root opens the video file and it only takes a few seconds of the first video to confirm their suspicions.  Stopping the video, Root opens the other folder.  They’re a dozen pictures all of different men with different children.  Disgusted, Root gets up from the table and walks over to the window.  Shaw follows.  Without looking at Shaw, Root thinks out loud.  “That’s twelve different children with twelve different men.  We need to stop them.”  Frustrated, Shaw exhales loudly.  “It was going to be hard enough to get rid of Summers without drawing attention to ourselves.  How are we going to get rid of a dozen other perverts without blowing our covers or attracting Samaritan’s attention?”

“I’ve never told you about Hanna.  I was born in Bishop, Texas, a quintessential small town.  Narrow minded people fearful of anything or anyone different.  I was gay, a computer geek, and a loner.  Hanna was two years older and my only friend.  She was kidnapped and murdered by a pedophile.  So stopping these men is personal for me.  I know we’re taking a big risk, but I need to do this Sam.”  Root knows Shaw will back her in whatever play she makes even if she didn’t explain, but she feels Shaw deserves to know.  Knowing there’s more to this story, but now isn’t the time to pursue it, Shaw nods and says, “What do we do?” 

Root outlines the beginning of a plan.  “We need to get these men to come together so we can take them out all at once.”  Thinking, Shaw follows Root’s logic.  “Okay, but it can’t be linked to Summers’ or we risk the police crawling all over this building to investigate.”  They need more information.  “I need to look into Summers and these men more thoroughly.  There has to be a link otherwise how did they find each other?”  Shaw agrees.  “We don’t have much time, Root.  Summers is going to be suspicious enough when all his students don’t show up on the same day for their lessons.  It’s not going to work a second time.  Once he starts calling the parents, he’ll know someone’s on to him and he’ll bolt.” 

“Give me a couple of hours.”  While Root does her hacker thing, Shaw works out with her free weights and then goes for a run.  By the time she’s done and showered Root has more information.  “Sam, these guys found each other on the internet; no surprise there.  They all visited a website called Pedobear, which uses a friendly looking cartoon bear as its logo.  They use code words and symbols to communicate their preferences.  You can only access the site if you have the exact url and a password, which they change weekly.  You have to know someone already on the site to gain access. They share pictures, videos, and stories.

Our guys took it a step further; creating a private club in Manhattan called Chi Lab.  They meet once a month.  CL is the code used by pedophiles to identify themselves as child lovers.  All the members are local men attracted to little boys.  I’ll spare you how I figured it out,” Root says with a pained expression on her face.  “I think there’s a way to make their deaths look like a freak accident.”   Shaw raises her eyebrows in a questioning look, waiting for Root to continue.  “Their next meeting isn’t for another two weeks and it’s always at a different location.  We have to get Summers to summon the members for a special meeting tonight.”

“Okay, and then what?” Shaw asks.  “I’m not sure…gas leak, carbon monoxide, electrical fire…It’ll depend on the location.”  Shaw knows they’ll get Summers to do whatever they want, but the problem is going to be coming up with a reason so tempting, the men will ignore their normal wariness of something unexpected.  “I’m going to have to read their chat transcripts, posts, and emails to gauge what might work,” Root says quietly.  There’s no way Shaw’s going to let Root go through that hell.  “Download them and I’ll read them,” Shaw tells her.  Root’s about to protest, but one look at Shaw and she knows it would be pointless and the truth is she’s beyond relieved and grateful. 

Shaw spends the next couple of hours reading.  She thought she knew what to expect, but to these men their depravity defines the norm.  She gets up and goes to her weapons cache.  She gathers a gun with silencer, a combat knife, duct tape, zip-ties, a hood, rope, and a thin black towel.  She shoves everything into a duffle bag.  Root watches her silently.  Shaw has an absolutely blank look on her face and her body is preternaturally still.  This is Shaw at her most dangerous.  Root knows she can’t let her near Summers in this condition or she’ll kill him without considering the consequences.

Root approaches her carefully, not speaking.  Slowly she takes Shaw’s hand in her own, intertwining their fingers.  Shaw doesn’t pull away, say anything, or look at Root and they stand there for a few minutes just breathing.  “Sam…”  But Root doesn’t say anything else when Shaw squeezes her hand almost painfully.  Instead she pulls Shaw into her body gently, hugging her loosely, nothing sexual in the embrace.  When Shaw finally looks at her, Root sees fury in her eyes, but gone is the dead expression boding death.  “Thank you Sam.  I don’t think I could’ve done it.”  Making eye contact, Shaw nods once, only saying, “Let’s get this over with.”

“The one thing each of these guys long for is a kid they can keep for their own.  We have to get Summers to make them believe he has a little boy that will fulfill that desire.” Taking a deep breath, Root heads to the door, picking up something from the table.  “Let me knock on the door.  Stand to the side so he doesn’t see you,” Root says.  Shaw nods and hands Root a pair of gloves as she slips hers on.  Saying nothing they walk out their door, closing it but not locking it behind them. 

Shaw stands to the side of the door while Root knocks.  Root can tell Summers is at the peephole because the light is momentarily blocked.  Root thinks he may not answer but then hears the deadbolt turning.  Summers opens the door partway, clearly not intending to invite Root inside.  But that’s fine because it’s enough space for Root to reach in and tase him with her new gift.  As he starts to drop to the floor, Root darts in and catches him before his body hits with a loud crash attracting attention.

Summers regains consciousness duct taped to a high-backed kitchen chair in the living room with a hood on his head.  His mouth is also taped shut.  “Oh, you’re finally awake sweetie.  Have a good nap?”  Summers starts shaking and all of a sudden Root and Shaw see a wet spot growing at the front of his trousers.  Condescendingly, Root tells him, “its okay sweetie.  Don’t worry.  Believe it or not I’m a reformed assassin.  Well, for the most part anyway.  I’ll let you know when it’s time to panic.”  Root keeps talking as she circles Summers’ chair.

“Have you ever heard of Schrodinger's Cat Ronald?  Or should I call you Reginald?  Anyway, there's a cat trapped in a box with something lethal. There's a 50% chance the cat's been killed, but until you open the box, there's no way to know one way or the other. Quantum physics says before you open the box, the cat isn't dead or alive. It's both. Like you Ronny.  Which way you end up depends on the decisions you make in the next few minutes.  Are you dead or alive?”

Summers will end up dead one way or the other, but he doesn’t have to know that.  Summers starts shaking his head and pulling on the duct tape in earnest.  Shaw yanks the hood off and he stops. He’s drenched in sweat.  “Eventually we’re going to ask you some questions and you’re going to answer truthfully.  Then we’re going to give you a set of instructions, which you’re going to follow to the letter.  But right now I’m going to give you a taste of what will happen if you don’t.  You see, threatening torture isn’t nearly as effective as actual torture.  It’s important you understand what will happen if you disobey.”  Summers starts crying and they hear muffled shouting. 

“Tilt his chair back.”  Root does but asks, “Are you sure you want to jump straight to the water-boarding?”  Shaw rolls her eyes.  “I didn’t want to leave marks.  But I guess we could start with the electricity.”  They can tell Summers is trying to talk.  Shaw looks at him and says, “When I remove the tape covering your mouth, you will not scream.  If you make any sound above a whisper, it will be the last sound you ever make.  Do you understand?”  Summers nods yes frantically and Root lowers the chair. 

Shaw rips the tape off none too gently.   Blubbering, Summers asks, “Please stop, don’t hurt me.  I’ll do whatever you want, just tell me, please…stop.”  Studying him, Shaw speculates out loud, “I wonder if any of the children you hurt begged like that…begged you to stop…begged you not to hurt them.”  Shocked, Summers sputters, tears running down his face, “I would never hurt a child. I love…”  But Shaw doesn’t let him finish.  She slaps tape back on his mouth.  “Wrong answer.”  Feigning sympathy, Root tells him, "It's time to panic Ronny."

Taking her knife, Shaw expertly cuts his clothes yanking them off his body, leaving him naked.  Summers starts to cry so hard, he’s having trouble breathing.  Looking at him Root tries to muster some type of concern for his humanity or her own.  She tries to envision another just punishment.  But all she sees is a monster who can never be cured, reformed, or rehabilitated.  Shaw waits in silence, knowing the internal battle raging in Root.  Shaw’s made her decision and she knows she won’t feel regret or guilt or lose any sleep over it.  But Root has a more nuanced range of emotions and Shaw won’t do anything to make her feel any of those things.  Sighing, Root can’t muster up any reason to spare this poor excuse for a man; a man just like the one that took Hanna from her.  A bullet is too quick, too easy, and too painless.  Looking at Shaw, she’s sure.  He deserves no mercy.

Root walks over to a lamp sitting on the end table and yanks off its cord.  Using Shaw’s knife, she strips the end, leaving the wires exposed.  She plugs it into an outlet near Summers’ chair.  Without another word she touches it to the head of his penis for a count of three.  Summer thrashes violently, trying to scream under the tape.  He doesn’t fall over only because Shaw catches the chair before it hits the floor.  “I’m sorry, did that hurt sweetie?  That was only about 100 volts, imagine what would happen if I used my 53,000,000 volt taser.  It might just explode.  What’s that burning smell?  Oh yeah, right…it’s your dick.” 

Shaw retrieves a water pitcher from the refrigerator while Root talks.  Coming back to the living room, she duct tapes Summers’ head to the chair so he can’t move it.  Taking the black cloth from her duffle she gestures at Root to tilt the chair.  Root tilts it and braces it with her thighs.  Placing the thin cloth over Summers’ face, Shaw yanks off the tape covering his mouth.  Summers is still too shocked to even attempt to speak. 

Standing on the couch, Shaw pours water onto his breathing passages slowly.  Summers’ tries to shake his head violently but between the tape and Root, he can’t move.  After 15 seconds, Shaw nods at Root to lift the cloth.  Summers gags, trying to breath.  Conversationally, Shaw tells Root, “That was only what, about fifteen seconds?  Let’s see if he can do twenty.”  After only a few breaths, Root covers his face again and this time Shaw pours the water for twenty seconds.  Root removes the cloth and lowers the chair as Summers gags and sucks in huge breaths of air.

Shaw gets down from the couch and cuts the tape around Summers’ head, but tapes his mouth again.  He keeps breathing strongly through his nose almost hyperventilating.  “Okay Ronny.  This is what we’ve done without asking you the first question.  Now imagine what we’ll do if you lie to us or fail to follow our instructions to the letter.”  Root almost laughs at the horrified look on his face.  “We’re going to untie you and I’m going to let you soak in cold water in your bathtub, which will alleviate the second degree burn on your penis.  Sorry sweetie, that was a bit of improvisation so I don’t have anything else that will really help.  Plus you smell like piss and shit.  The odor is almost as offensive as your burned skin.”

Meanwhile, Shaw’s stuffs Summers’ clothes into a trash bag along with the cushion from the kitchen chair and the discarded tape.  She’ll dump them in the incinerator later.  She walks into the bathroom and fills the tub with cold water.  Root frees Summers from the chair and guides him to the bathroom.  Shaw roughly pushes him into the tub.  Root stands watch while Shaw gets him some clothes.  She doesn’t want to look at his disgusting body any longer.  When Shaw gets back to the bathroom she pulls Summers out and throws a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt at him.  “Get dressed.”  It takes Summers a few tries and several minutes to get the clothes on.  He hasn’t tried to say a word since they cut him loose.

Shaw drags him back to the living room and pushes him down on the couch.  Root starts the questioning.  “How do you arrange a meeting with the Chi Lab?”  It obvious that until that very moment, it hadn’t occurred to Summers that Root and Shaw knew all his dirty secrets.  Without inflection he answers.  “We set the next meeting at the current meeting.”  Looking in his eyes, Root asks, “Can you call an emergency meeting?”  He hesitates, tears sliding down his cheeks, and then says, “Yes, but there’s a code.  One code means hide and the other means there’s an opportunity too valuable to wait.”  Staring him down, Root tells him, “You realize if you warn them, we’ll still have you.  And nothing will save you from us.  What type of valuable ‘something’?” 

“An auction or a short-term offer for a play date.”  Root almost vomits.  “A fucking play date?!  That’s what you call the rape and molestation of little boys?!  A play date?!”  Root grabs the knife from the coffee table and lunges at him.  Shaw’s been sitting next to Root, expecting exactly this type of reaction.  She grabs Root before she gets near Summers.  Shaw doesn’t say anything, just holds Root until she feels her stop trembling with rage.  Looking at Summers Shaw assures him, “Next time I won’t stop her.”

“How do you call the emergency meeting?” Root wants to know.  “We leave an encrypted message on the club’s website.”  Thinking, Root asks, “Does everyone usually attend?  How do you decide where to meet?”  Pleading, Summers tells them, “Please, please let me go.  I’ll help you but please don’t hurt me anymore.”  Root plays with the tip of the knife and Summers blurts out, “No one’s ever missed a meeting since we created the club. We have a list of rotating locations.  The next one is at the Spanish Christian church in East Harlem.”  Deciding, Root stands up.  “Okay Ronny, we’re going to leave a message.  You’re going to tell your fellow miscreants it’s a play date.”  Root has Summers log-in and leave the message.  Then she ties him back up with rope this time and leaves him on the couch with his mouth taped shut.  Root spends the next hour on the computer.

When she’s done, Root and Shaw go into the bathroom where they can still watch Summers but speak privately.  “What’s the plan Root?”  Keeping an eye on Summers, Root explains.  “There are over 6,000 miles of pipes transporting natural gas in New York City.  There are thousands of leaks every year due to the crumbling infrastructure.  Most of the gas mains were installed before 1940 and made of cast iron, wrought iron, or unprotected steel — materials that are vulnerable to corrosion and cracking, especially in cold weather.  The church also happens to be near a gaping hole in a nearby sewer main that the city has known about for at least eight years.  The leak from the sewer main is causing erosion of the soil that supports the company’s gas pipe beneath the street. 

It’s serendipity Shaw.  We couldn’t have picked a better place if we planned it.  The explosion will take out the church and it will be blamed on a gas leak.  We just need to arrange a little faulty wiring and viola, pedophile ring exterminated.  If the explosion is strong enough, they may never be able to identify the bodies and it will take the city years to investigate and issue its report on the cause.”

Looking at Root, Shaw doubts she’s as nonchalant as she sounds, but she knows her information is accurate.  “We need to be sure the explosion is confined to the church.  We’re also going to have to sedate Summers to transport him and figure out how to get him in there without anyone suspecting something’s wrong with him,” Shaw points out.

While Root sedates Summers, Shaw removes all the cameras, stowing them in the duffle.  She then takes the trash down to the incinerator to dispose of the evidence of what happened in Summers’ apartment.  Shaw finds a medical supply van nearby they can use to transport Summers to the church, wheelchair and all.  Shaw grabs a couple of more items from her weapons cache.  They have several hours before the meeting and settle in to wait.

Shaw works out the logistics.  “We need to arrive before anyone else.  We’ll leave Summers in the sacristy where he won’t be found.  They’ll just think he’s late.  You sabotage the wiring so it appears to be the cause of the fire.  Once you’re clear I’ll shoot a flare through the window to ignite the gas and trigger the explosion.  We need to be sure just enough gas leaks to destroy the church without endangering innocent people in the buildings surrounding it.  Are we clear?”  Root nods yes. 

“Sam…”  Shaw looks at Root and sees the despair in her eyes.  “Root if you’ve changed your mind we can figure out something else.  We can arrange to have them caught and prosecuted.  But good riddance to bad rubbish as far as I’m concerned.  We’ll save every kid they’re hurting now and every kid they would’ve hurt in the future, along with the taxpayers money.  With the added bonus of not risking a botched prosecution freeing them a year from now, not to mention protecting our covers.  Win / win.”  Shaking her head, Root knows it’s the best way to minimize their exposure.  She’s not going to risk losing Shaw just to do the ‘right thing’ by some pedophiles.  “I know, but Harold…” 

Hating the pain Root’s feeling thinking about what Finch would say if he knew, Shaw’s anger ruptures.  “No Root.  Finch does not get to be the moral arbiter of our lives.  His sanctimonious and self-righteous bullshit got us in this war.  If we had killed that congressman, Samaritan would be a speck in our rearview mirror.  Instead, we allowed that monstrosity into being and it’s caused the death of scores of people, probably hundreds by the time it’s done and that’s assuming we ever manage to kill it.  I will not let you feel guilty for making a difficult choice.  Finch’s choices have resulted in countless deaths.  This is our decision, together; and we’ll face any consequences together.  But one of those consequences will not be feeling morally inferior to that man!”  Root’s speechless but she knows she’s never loved Shaw more. 

The next day the New York Times headline reads, ‘As Crews Search for Survivors, They Find Only More Victims.’  A few weeks later the landlord posts an eviction notice on Summers’ door and a few weeks after that Root and Shaw have a new neighbor.  A retired librarian they don’t expect will get into or cause them much trouble. 

 


	7. Never Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, Eeyore, where's the perky psycho? You're creeping me out.”

The Machine produces the number of Simon Lee, a brilliant political pollster and member of New York Governor James Murray's reelection campaign. Shaw goes undercover as a volunteer to get close to Simon. Although Finch believes this job is teaching Shaw people skills, Shaw is still Shaw. On a call with a potential voter, Shaw struggles to come up with something to say. “Why should you vote for Governor Murray? Uh... I don't know. He has lots of hair. He's been on Rogaine for decades, and that shows... foresight, right?”  Thrilled when her phone buzzes, Shaw hangs up; but Finch tells her she’ll need to stay with the campaign a little longer.

Root comes to the subway to give Finch a shadow map, which shows the places around the city with no cameras or any other type of surveillance. She also has a message from the Machine for Harold, “Sometimes it’s better not to know.”

Back at campaign headquarters, the Governor looses the election. Believing it’s impossible; Simon suspects voter fraud and begins to investigate. Simon tells everyone the election is rigged and the team suspects this will get him killed. Simon claims someone sabotaged the auto dialers and hundreds of calls on behalf of the campaign were never made.

While Shaw’s guarding Simon at the election commissioner’s office, Root appears and sits next to her; they’re so close their shoulders are touching, with Root’s arm behind Shaw, draped over the bench, and their heads leaning towards each other.  Shaw’s hyper vigilance never lets anyone get this close, preferring to have room to react at a moment’s notice and to keep anyone from getting the drop on her; anyone except Root.  

Exhausted, Root ignores Shaw, explaining she’s there at the Machine’s behest, but she doesn’t know why. Trying to draw her out, but still reluctant to show any emotion in public, Shaw jokingly says, “Hey, Eeyore, where's the perky psycho? You're creeping me out.” Ignoring Shaw, Root just sits, leaning across Shaw, vaguely staring at the door of the commissioner’s office; waiting for Simon to emerge, hoping to figure out why she’s there.

When Root ignores her, Shaw knows there’s something wrong, very wrong.  Root was fine this morning, but before Shaw gets a chance to say anything, Simon is thrown out of the commissioner’s office. As they watch the confrontation between Simon and the commissioner, an officer drags a resisting man down the hall, apparently an employee who has just been fired. Letting Simon’s confrontation with the commissioner play out, Shaw and Root remain sitting, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. As they watch, the commissioner allows Simon back into his office.

Not sure what’s happening, Shaw asks Root if the Machine has told her what’s going on yet. Root just worriedly nods no. Pairing her phone to Simon’s, Shaw and Root listen as the commissioner stonewalls. Shaw wonders if the commissioner is in on the fraud. As they sit waiting, Shaw accesses the commissioner’s email as Root looks on, but they find no evidence the commissioner is involved in fixing the election.

Shaw comments how the commissioner’s been dealing with a crazy employee all morning after receiving an anonymous tip. Root wants to know what else Simon found, but all Shaw knows is he claims the auto dialer went rogue. They call Finch who tells them the calls just disappeared. As they connect the dots, Root knows the Machine sent her to Simon because all the events are connected.

Before they can say anything more, a gunshot rings out. Shaw draws her gun and cautiously looks down the hall, making sure Root stays behind her. The shooter makes his way to the commissioner’s office, where Simon has the foresight to lock the door. Shaw and Root walk up behind the shooter and Shaw draws his attention while she shoots him the leg. Inside the office, Simon slowing begins to open the door. Looking out, he sees the gunman on the floor.

As Root and Shaw exit the building, they call Harold. Shaw tells Harold Simon was about to get caught in the crossfire had they not been there to intervene. Root disagrees. As they huddle behind a column, they automatically turn into each other, their faces almost touching, oblivious it’s now second nature for both of them. Root explains, “No. That's only what it was meant to look like. What Simon saw—the calls, the votes, the emails—the election was fixed by something that can manipulate electronic signals without a trace. Samaritan rigged the election. Now it’s cleaning up.”

Shaw and Root remain at the scene, while Harold, horrified, realizes “Samaritan has begun to intervene invisibly in human affairs,” as Shaw points out, “And it's killing to cover it up.” Still at the scene with Shaw, Root analyzes the situation, “It profiles unstable people like that guy. It anonymously sent evidence to get him fired and arrested, knowing he'd snap. He was an unwitting hit man. He'd kill the Commissioner, and Simon would be collateral damage.” As they stand by, Root and Shaw witness Simon trying to convince an officer to listen to his conspiracy theory.

As they discuss the situation, Harold expresses his belief the election was rigged in favor of the new governor, Perez. Shaw expresses disdain at the idea of letting the "...rigged election slide.” Harold decides they need to get Perez to resign, because she must be integral to Samaritan’s plan. Root heads back to the subway to help Harold search Perez’s life for dirty laundry. Before she leaves, she squeezes Shaw’s hand.  They don’t have time to talk, but Root wants to let her know things will be okay.  Shaw sticks with Simon. Since Samaritan is obviously tracking Simon, Finch cautions Shaw to be careful so as not to put her cover in danger.

Shaw agrees, but then notices Reese arrive at the scene in his role as homicide investigator. It is just as important he not come to the attention of Samaritan, but he refuses to stand down, even though the NYPD has someone tailing him. Harold finally convinces him to head back to the station.

 

* * *

 

 

Root and Finch try to find any evidence Perez is dirty.   While searching, Root tells Finch it’s nice to be working together. They have their first genuine conversation, Harold finally seeing Root as a person.  “You must be so lonely. How long has it been? Since the Machine spoke to you? There's no need to lie to me. When the Machine speaks, you seem so full of life, purpose, but lately, you seem lost. You've been covering it for a long time. When you said your communication with the Machine was limited, you didn't say that it wasn't talking to you at all.”  Whispering, Root tells him “If She talks, Samaritan would see. I get whispers.  New cover identities hidden in the static of a phone, a map and a message encrypted in an infomercial. She was supposed to remake the world. Now, God's on the run. I have to keep going.”

Harold expresses his genuine sorrow, “I'm so sorry. The world must seem very dark to you.”  Displaying the absolute faith Root has in the Machine, she explains “Even without Her, I can still see the edges of the tapestry.” But not immune to the impossible task before them, she also tells him, “The world is dark for everyone, but, Harold, things are gonna get much darker.”

As they get back to work, Root and Harold discover Perez has a rap sheet under a previous name.  She was charged with soliciting while she was working as an escort during college.  Harold resolves to deliver the information to Perez anonymously to give her a chance to resign voluntarily.  Root arms herself and heads out to the hotel where Perez is holding a victory celebration.  Harold goes with her, pretending to be the photographer to Root’s reporter.  Shaw, following Simon, is already there.

Shaw tells Root and Harold Simon is in the audience.  Root states the obvious, “…cold war is about to turn hot,” while Harold tells them, “We have to get him out of here without the cameras seeing us and without Simon realizing what we're doing.”  As they try to develop a strategy, Root spots the Samaritan operative, Martine.  Trying to save Simon, the team scrambles for a plan.  Suddenly, Perez falls to the floor while on the dais and dies.  Root figures out Martine isn’t here for Simon, she’s here to kill Perez.  Perez being dealt with, Martine spots Simon and turns to follow.

The team uses the shadow map to save Simon, while staying in the background.  Shaw steals Simon’s phone and leaves it in the bathroom as a red herring for Martine to find.  It works and Simon leaves the hotel, while Harold follows him, trying to stay off Samaritan’s radar.  Root causes a car accident to turn Simon in the direction they need him to go.  Incredulously, Harold asks Root, “Whose car was that?”  Taking a second for humor, Root smiles, “Someone who needs a good mechanic.”

Continuing to follow Simon, Harold sees him entering a hotel.  Knowing the hotel will have cameras, Harold races to cut the feeds.  He succeeds as Simon tries to check in. Realizing he needs to hide his identity and location, Simon bribes the registration clerk to keep his name out of the computer.  Root and Shaw, along with Harold, take the room next to Simon. 

Harold disables all the electronics in Simon’s room.  Shaw then slips a camera through the wall.  Invading her personal space, Shaw stands next to Root while they watch Simon.  Never meeting her eyes, Shaw decides he’s contained for now and heads out to set up an extraction.  Shaw wants to take the time to talk to Root and make sure she doesn’t do anything crazy without backup, but Harold’s there and there isn’t any time.  _I need to focus or I’ll get us all killed._  Shaw and Root know every time they part, it may be for the last time.  Watching her until she walks out of the room and understanding her behavior, Root turns back to Harold. 

The minute Shaw hits the sidewalk, she calls Reese and tells him they have to meet.

Root and Harold surmise Samaritan actually wants the lieutenant governor, Nick Dawson, to become governor.  Root knows they need to figure out Samaritan’s end-game.  Harold argues it’s not possible, since it moves twenty steps ahead.  Root believes since they understand the Machine, they can figure out Samaritan.  Rejecting the entire concept, Harold insists they do not “know” the Machine.  He explains he was only able to bring it into being after crippling it so it could never hurt humans.  Harold believes Root’s faith in the Machine’s love will get Root killed.

Shocked, Root doesn’t accept it.  “You're wrong. She chose me. I will protect her, and you.”  Harold persists trying to convince Root she’s wrong.   “The second that a bullet enters your brain, the machine will cast you off and replace you. Don't tie your life to its whims. We cannot understand these intelligences. The best we can hope for is to survive them.”  Undeterred, Root argues, “She loves us, Harold. She taught me to value life, but war requires sacrifice. I'm not lost. I'm scared. We're losing. But I know where I am and where I'm headed.” Quietly chastising, Harold tries to convince Root there is more to look forward to than death.  Although Root is hopeful that’s true, she knows after the life’s she’s led, a good end would be a privilege.

As Harold continues to speak, Root grows forlorn.  She asks Harold to give Shaw a message if she dies.  But Harold tells her Shaw already knows. Emphatic, Root contends even if they win the war, there’s no way in hell they all make it out alive.

Next door, Simon borrows a cell phone from a maid and tries to make a call.  Before Harold can block it Simon calls 911 and starts to explain.  The Machine tells Root Samaritan has located Simon.  Harold tries to dissuade Root from going after Martine alone, but Root tells him if she doesn’t, the Machine says they all die.  It is obvious from the look on her face; the odds of Root surviving are minimal.  Part of her wonders if she should have insisted on Harold getting a message to Shaw, but, in truth, she doesn’t want to reduce what they found in each other to a few words left with Harold.  _We shared a million moments, each one a drop of water bouncing against her walls. My only regret is not sharing a million more._

As Root arms herself and takes position on the floor above the lobby, Martine enters the hotel and agents begin to restore the camera feeds.  Without reservation, Martine kills the employee at the front desk when she hesitates to reveal Simon’s location.  Root begins to shoot through the ceiling and engages Martine, as the Machine and Samaritan battle through them.  In the chaos of the gunfight, guests rush from their rooms to evacuate the hotel, Simon among them.

Martine and Root battle on.  As Root tries to protect Simon when he reaches the lobby, Martine shoots at her and Root is hit twice, but she manages to hit Martine as well.  Martine realizes she cannot kill both Root and Simon, so she starts to follow Simon.  Trying to force Martine to abandon the chase for Simon, Root drops her weapons, making her the priority target.  Samaritan sends Martine after Root, as Simon escapes.

As Simon leaves the hotel, Samaritan reacquires his location and sends other agents after him.  Before that happens, Shaw finds Simon; cold cocks him, and with Reese’s help gets him out of immediate danger.  Harold hacked Simon’s digital documentation, while Shaw replaced the hard copies; Harold persuades Simon to drop the conspiracy theory.  Eventually reaching out to friends, Simon admits the conspiracy was only his inflated ego.  Samaritan removes Simon from its threat list.

Satisfied she’s done all she can for Simon, Shaw walks out of the building with Harold, immediately asking him if he’s heard from Root.  Harold only says, “It's going to be a long fight, but it must be won, at any cost.”  Listening to him, Shaw knows without a doubt Root’s in danger.  _If Root dies, Harold’s going to find that’s a cost I’m not willing to pay, fuck the war._ Shaw works with Harold because she gets to shoot a lot of people with the added benefit of working for the good guys.  But it’s just a job.  She doesn’t believe in his Machine or its agenda.  She only believes in Root. 

But Shaw arrives at the hotel only to discover Root gone.  Amidst the fallout of the gun fight, Shaw finds nothing but gun casings and blood.  Powerless, unable to find, much less protect, Root, Shaw finds herself drenched in anger.  _Never again will I leave her in a dangerous situation, with no one to watch her back.  No matter what the mission, Root comes first; otherwise there’s no purpose to any of this._   As her anger drains away, alone with her thoughts, Shaw knows she wants to show Root what she feels, but has no idea how.

Root meets with Harold and its obvious she’s been seriously hurt.  She can’t work in the field until she recuperates.  Harold agonizes over deceiving Simon, knowing he took the truth away from him.  Root reminds him sometimes it’s better not to know.

Greer meets with Dawson, bringing him into the Samaritan fold.  Greer tells Martine they have fifty eight men like Dawson around the country, working in government, waiting to do Samaritan’s bidding.  Samaritan orders Martine to track down the team.


	8. She's Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sitting down, Root looks at the man’s retreating back, “I was going to buy his breakfast.” Without blinking, Shaw deadpans, “Maybe he remembered an urgent appointment.” Watching Shaw with amusement, she laughs, “Oh sweetie, you really think I don’t know you threatened him with your gun?” Fighting a smile, Shaw lifts the menu to her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make my sex scenes more emotive instead of just giving a play by play; but I also don't want them to get corny. I'm trying to keep what they say to each other in character, but I'm not a fan of "they just have angry sex" paradigm. Let me know what you think works and what doesn't.
> 
> Thanks! Enjoy!

Shaw’s angry and worried.  Root could be anywhere, dead, wounded, or even a prisoner.  But there’s nothing else she can do for the moment, so she goes home and takes her aggression out on the punching bag; punching until she bleeds. 

Root knows she’ll be in NY until she’s recovered and is determined to spend as much of that time with Shaw as she can.  Root hesitates outside their apartment and prepares herself for Shaw’s reaction. She knows Shaw is physically spent by their last few missions and pissed off she's not sure what happened to Root.  But reaching out was too dangerous and Root needed medical attention.  Root also knows Shaw may be fighting against her feelings by numbing herself and retreating to her default settings; walls fortified, anger simmering, thoughts brutally silenced. 

When Root lets herself in to their apartment, Shaw’s grabbing herself a beer; a pizza sits on the counter.  She turns to face Root, her face impassive, still not speaking.  Crossing her arms, the danger is palpable.  Root knows this show is intended to ensure she keeps her distance.  But Root knows she’s always safe with Shaw.  Although emotions are a whole other matter.  Nevertheless, deciding to tread lightly, Root drops all her usual banter and gives Shaw a genuine smile.  “Hey sweetie, I’m starving.  Are you gonna share a slice or should I order my own?”

Root thinks Shaw might just ignore her, but finally she responds, although she keeps an indifferent look on her face.  “Shouldn’t you be off chasing a relevant number or something?” Root keeps her tone light.  “Well in case you haven’t heard, I was shot…twice.  Kinda hard to hold a gun with holes in your shoulder.”  Getting no response, Root continues talking as if oblivious, “This sling is not my latest fashion statement.  Wanna see?  My wounds, not the sling.  I could use a second opinion.”  

Ignoring her question Shaw finally says “If I give you a slice will you shut up?”  Root says nothing; Shaw opens the pizza box and serves them each a slice.  _Progress._ Still standing, Shaw begins to eat, taking a gulp of her beer.  When Root inclines her head slightly towards Shaw’s beer with a questioning look, Shaw tells her, “I never said anything about beer.”  Root considers her next plan of attack.  While Shaw has pizza in her mouth, Root grabs her beer and takes a sip.  Exasperatedly sighing, Shaw swallows and turns back to the refrigerator grabbing Root a beer.   _Progress._   Root takes the beer, walks casually over to the couch and gets comfy, content to wait her out.

Finishing her pizza, Shaw comes over and sits in the armchair by the couch, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.  Glancing at Root, she says nothing and begins to channel surf, settling on a channel playing some mindless spy movie.  Tired, she doses off, waking to find herself covered with a quilt.  As she looks over, she sees Root on the couch sleeping, her shoes on the floor.  As she watches Root sleep, Root begins to thrash, screaming.  Shaw walks over, gently shaking her shoulder.  Root opens her eyes, still groggy.  “You were having a bad dream.”  Shaw wants to hold on to her anger, but she can’t stand to see Root suffer.  “Are you okay?”  Root nods but doesn’t explain. 

Shaw washes up and heads to bed without saying anything else.  Even when they’re angry, Root and Shaw have a rule.  No one sleeps on the couch except unintentionally.  Shaw drifts off but can’t sleep until she feels Root slide into bed.  Although Root stays on her side, Shaw feels her warmth and knows at some point they end up tangled in each other. 

Shaw only wakes because the sun is beating on her face.  Leaving the bedroom, she finds Root sitting on the window ledge, her good arm wrapped around her knees, her head resting on them, looking out the window, a cup of coffee next to her.  She looks sad and Shaw wants to comfort her.  But she doesn’t say anything and goes to get dressed.

Root sees Shaw in the window’s reflection.  She’s not surprised at Shaw’s tender look, no anger on her face.  This is the Shaw who always gravitates towards her, needing her near and not fighting it.  Gazing out the window, Root lets her mind wander. 

Shaw comes out of the bedroom and finds Root on the couch.  Feeling Shaw behind her, Root tones down the intensity.  “You wanna grab some breakfast? You can even have your favorite, steak and eggs, my treat.”  Caught off guard, Shaw answers “sure” before she even registers the question.  Wondering what she’s doing, Shaw scowls.

They continuously watch their surroundings and walk in comfortable silence to the diner.  Once inside, Shaw scowls when she finds her favorite booth occupied; the one that allows her to sit with her back to the wall, watching the door.  Seeing the look on Shaw’s face, Root gently places her hand on her arm.  “Let me try.  If you beat that guy up you’ll attract unwanted attention.”  Her scowl deepens but Shaw says nothing and stays put.  She watches Root walk flirtatiously to the table, draping her good arm over the shoulders of the offending guy, who then lets his hand fall to the small of Root’s back.  _Great,_ _now I have to kill him for a completely different reason._

Shaw tells herself she’s hungry and doesn’t want to wait, but she knows she can’t stand to see anyone with their hands on Root.  She walks deliberately to the table.  Looking over Root’s shoulder, she lets her blank gaze drift from the man’s face to where he currently has his hand on Root’s back.  Casually letting her jacket drift open, Shaw allows him a glimpse of the gun in her waistband.  Abruptly telling Root “sure, no problem,” he throws money on the table and practically runs out the door.  Sitting down, Root looks at the man’s retreating back. “I was going to buy his breakfast.”  Without blinking, Shaw deadpans, “Maybe he remembered an urgent appointment.”  Watching Shaw with amusement, Root laughs, “Oh sweetie, you really think I don’t know you threatened him with your gun?”  Fighting a smile, Shaw lifts the menu to her face.

As they wait for their breakfast, Shaw stands up and asks Root to come sit on the side of the booth where Shaw was just sitting.  When Root sits, Shaw slides in next her.  Speechless, Root says nothing, but lets a casual smile show.  Shaw rolls her eyes.  “You were blocking my view of the door.”  Their order arrives, and Shaw digs in like she doesn’t know where her next meal is coming from; effectively forestalling any further conversation.

Once back at their apartment, Shaw disappears into the bathroom.  Root grabs her laptop and sits on the couch.  Before she can open it, Shaw comes back with medical supplies.  She doesn’t say anything, but gently tugs on Root’s shirt so she’ll raise her hands and let Shaw slip it off.  Shaw doesn't trust any quack willing to patch up criminals with no other choice.  She slowly removes the bandages and checks on Root’s wounds.  She’s satisfied the wounds are healing well and covers them with new bandages.  Instead of helping Root put her shirt back on, Shaw sits on her uninjured side and pulls Root into her, tucking her head in the crook of her shoulder. 

After a few minutes Shaw mumbles, “I’m glad you’re okay.”  She knows Root couldn’t let Martine kill Simon.  It would have gone against everything Root has strived to accomplish since she found the Machine.  She wouldn’t change Root even if she could.  Their bond demands respect and trust; something Root gives Shaw in spades. But Shaw doesn’t know how to reconcile that with her need to keep Root safe and them together.  Root knows Shaw’s deeply troubled by what happened with Simon, but they both know she would do it all over again. So she tries to comfort them both. 

The silence enveloping them, Root lifts her head, puts her arm around Shaw, and as she looks into Shaw’s eyes, she tilts her head and slowly captures her upper lip with her mouth. Taking her time, she caresses it with her tongue, waiting for Shaw. Shaw strokes Root’s face with the back of her hand and leans in, opening her lips slightly and capturing Root’s tongue, stroking it with her own.  Allowing herself to feel, she stops thinking, closing her eyes, focusing on the softness of Root’s lips and a scent so uniquely Root, she would willingly drown in it.  

Root bites Shaw’s lower lip lightly, letting her teeth graze her mouth as she pulls away.  Nibbling and licking her way down Shaw’s jaw to her neck, she inhales deeply, loving the musky smell she always associates with Shaw.  Resting her hand on the nape of Shaw’s neck, her fingers play languidly with her hair and she brings their lips together again.  

Lingering, they explore each other as the intensity gradually builds.  Shaw wraps her arms around Root’s waist, pulling them closer together.  She tastes like the pineapple she had at breakfast, and Root savors the tangy flavor sensually, slowly stealing their breaths, until they pull apart, gasping.  Leaning their foreheads against each other’s as they catch their breath, Shaw whispers, “I need you.”

Her eyes burning with desire, she adds, “Wait here.”  When she comes back, she's wearing only a black tank top and her boy shorts, which cling tightly, accentuating the curves of her ass, making Root wet just by looking.  She tugs Root up by her good hand and undresses her slowly, wanting to take in every inch of Root.  She oves everything about Root’s body.  Creamy skin, long and wavy light brown hair, thin eyebrows arching over startling clear brown eyes, accentuated cheekbones and angular chin, pouty lips, breasts that fit perfectly in her mouth, well-defined stomach muscles, taut ass, tight thighs, and long, toned legs, deceptively strong when wrapped around her body.  

She leads Root to the bed, where she’s set up pillows so Root can keep her shoulder stable, her arm out of harm’s way.  Once she’s comfortable, Shaw lies next to her, leaning on her side, head propped on one hand, and gently traps Root’s good arm under her so she can’t use it.  Smiling, Root adjusts her hand so it’s cupping Shaw’s ass inside her shorts, allowing her some leverage to pull her closer.

Shaw runs her other hand lightly up and down Root’s body, letting her fingers wander, nails barely grazing skin, making Root quiver.  Catching her eye, Root sees a hint of mischief.  The next things she feels is Shaw’s hot breath on her neck, making her skin tingle.  Trailing a few small kisses, lightly sucking, Shaw runs her tongue ever so lightly along the ridge of Root’s ear and whispers, “You’re so hot…I’m not sure what I want to do to you first.”

Leaning in close enough for their breaths to intermingle, Shaw teasingly traces Root’s lip with one finger and Root captures it in her mouth, sucking and licking slowly, scraping her teeth over its length erotically as Shaw withdraws it.  “I’m all yours Sameen…”  Shaw replaces her finger with her mouth, deliberately placing her slightly parted lips on Root’s, gently pressing, enjoying the sensation of their lips touching, moving unhurriedly against each other, eliciting a moan from Root.  Separating their lips only slightly, she whispers, “Yes...you are...”

Root whimpers as Shaw pulls away, but relents when she sees the desire in her eyes, “I want to look at you when I touch you.”  Gently, Shaw traces her fingers over the outer edges of Root’s breasts, running her thumb underneath, gently caressing, while breathing warm air over her nipples.  Root’s biting her lower lip, her nipples hard and erect, but Shaw hasn’t touched them yet.  Shaw looks at her face, want clearly written in her eyes.  “Root…what do you need?” 

Groaning, Root doesn’t know what’s turning her on more, what Shaw’s doing or what she’s saying.  “I need you to use your mouth.”  Using her fingertips, she grazes Root’s nipples; Root arches into the touch seeking more pressure.  “How?”  Root’s not sure she can take anymore, but before she can answer, Shaw scoots down a little and uses her mouth to tug on her nipples, biting lightly with her teeth.  Root bucks, feeling the sensation race straight to her center.  Pulling back, Shaw looks up, “Like this?...or...like...”  She sucks on Root's nipple with her lips, teasing the sensitive center with her tongue. Before she’s done speaking, Root’s already answering, “Yes!” Shaw smiles against Root's skin.

Gradually she starts to move lower, kissing the ribs along the side of Root’s body, sliding a hand down her thigh.  Almost reluctantly, she admits, “I can’t get enough of your body.”  Reaching Root’s waist, she uses light, wet, sucking kisses, driving Root wild.  Using her freed hand, Root pulls hard on Shaw’s hair, pulling her up, crushing their mouths together, biting Shaw’s lower lip sharply, then grazing it with her teeth firmly, before sucking on the bruised skin.  Thrusting into Shaw’s mouth, she claims it, at the same time scraping her nails down Shaw’s back, under her tank top, making her growl at the mix of pleasure and pain. 

Shaw almost loses control when her wet center touches Root’s thigh and she feels her firm muscles brushing against her clit, the thin fabric of her boy shorts contributing to the friction.  Pulling away from Root, she sits up on her haunches, looking at Root with a wicked smile.  Root’s beyond desperate.  “Please baby, I can’t take anymore.”  Still smiling Shaw asks, “Are you going to come for me?”  Root just groans and grips the sheet tightly in her fist, thrusting her pelvis, trying to make contact.

Shaw focuses her attention back on Root’s body.  Crawling down backwards, she settles between her legs and worships her inner thighs with her mouth the same way she did her body.  Root feels her need rage into an uncontrollable fire.  Frantic, she pleads, “Sameen…I need you.  Please…” Shaw can’t describe the effect Root’s words have on her body.  Root belongs to her and she wants to make sure Root never forgets.

Flattening her tongue she licks Root sex, separating her folds with her tongue, but making sure not to touch her clit yet.  Using gentle strokes she moves her tongue closer and closer.  Root’s trying to push her head down, but she resists.  Instead, cupping Root’s ass, she brings her up to her mouth, tasting and licking, until Root’s trembling uncontrollably. She can feel Root’s stomach muscles clenching.  Laying her down gently, but keeping her mouth on her center, she enters Root, making her hiss.  With her free hand she reaches up and Root clutches it, raising her hips to meet Shaw’s mouth.  Root's so hot and wet and open for her. Using four fingers, Shaw thrusts carefully against Root’s g-spot, while finally allowing her tongue to lap at her clit.  She takes it into her mouth, sucking gently, then releases, flicking it softly in rhythm with her thrusts.  “Yes!  Just like that baby…don’t stop…please…”  Root grits her teeth, wanting more, until she can’t think, nothing matters, and all she wants is Shaw to never stop.

Root comes hard.  She gets a pulsating feeling, her head spinning, body shaking uncontrollably.  She feels every ounce of sexual energy being sucked from her body, hot and tingly, starting at her toes and fingertips, pulling from all sides, working its way through her body, pulsing from her center.  Shaw’s never felt her clench so hard or spasm so long.  Riding it out with her, Shaw slows her movements until she feels Root unclench and release her hand.  Climbing up her body, Shaw holds her, running her fingers through her hair.  It takes a few minutes, but Root recovers enough to speak although her sex is still throbbing, producing little pulses of pleasure and she can't feel her bones. Shaw kisses her softly, using only her lips and Root tastes herself on her mouth.  Smiling at her affectionately Shaw tells her, “I love the way you move when I’m inside you.”

“Sameen…I feel …” But Shaw doesn’t let her finish, interrupting with a deep kiss.  Holding herself over Root, she lets her center rest on Root’s thigh.  Suddenly she jumps up, yanking of her tank top and stripping her shorts, leaving her naked.  Lying back down, her naked body presses against Root, their nipples grazing.  Moaning, “Root I need…”  But Root already knows what Shaw needs and she grasps her bicep, moving against her.  They lock gazes and seeing her unguarded and open, her pleasure building, Root can’t help herself, “I love you Sameen.”  Hearing those three words sends Shaw over the edge, her orgasm overtaking her.  Gasping as she comes down, she shifts to lie next to Root before her biceps give out.  Curling into Root’s neck, she drapes her arm across Root’s body.  “I know Root.  I know.”


	9. Talk Some Sense To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I mean, not ‘hood and zip ties in a CIA safe house with ten hours to kill’ hot, but...” Horrified everyone’s listening, Shaw whispers urgently, “Root, what the hell are you doing?”

While Root is recuperating, Harold, as Professor Whistler, attends a conference in Hong Kong.  At the conference, Finch meets Elizabeth Bridges, the owner of a small tech company.  Finch sets up an elaborate ruse, allowing him access to Elizabeth’s computer.  He hacks the computer, infecting it with his own software.   As Bridges leaves the conference, she calls a potential investor, a Samaritan operative. Samaritan is trying to acquire various companies around the world, including Bridges’.

 

* * *

 

The latest number is Tomas Koroa, who the team believes to be a wine dealer.  However, when Shaw follows him, she witnesses a smash and grab committed by Tomas and his crew. Tomas is a thief.  While investigating him, the team learns he’s been involved in over 50 thefts on four continents, and one of his crew died under suspicious circumstances after being caught.

Shaw can’t help but admire Tomas' technique as well as his more physical attributes.  She's not blind after all.  Reese teases her mercilessly and Root catches wind of Shaw’s supposed infatuation.  _Sure, the guy’s hot, but Root makes my body sing, no contest._

The team arranges for one of Tomas’ crew to be arrested on drug charges, leaving an empty spot in his crew.  Shaw reaches out to her criminal contacts and sets up a meeting.  She goes to the meeting wearing an indecently revealing black dress, knowing flirting with Tomas will increase the chances of lowering his guard.  Plus Shaw’s not above enjoying a little attention.

Back at the subway, Root hears Tomas telling Shaw, "nothing unlocks doors like a beautiful woman."  She was already looking at his picture, having heard about Shaw's infatuation.  After seeing it and hearing him flirting with Shaw, she grudgingly agrees he’s hot.  Feeling the green eyed monster rising, she begins a running commentary through Shaw’s earpiece.  Not caring who hears, she reminds Shaw “I mean, not ‘hood and zip ties in a CIA safe house with ten hours to kill’ hot, but I kinda get it.”  Horrified everyone’s listening, Shaw whispers urgently, “Root, what the hell are you doing?”

Root knows she’s pushing too far, but she’s not accustomed to feeling jealous.  Shaw’s hot, but her hostile look keeps even the most determined suitor away.  But hearing Shaw flirting back, with a tone that only belongs to her, she loses control.  That’s no excuse she knows.  Shaw’s not comfortable with public displays of affection and even though everybody knows what’s up with them, she refuses to face it.  Root realizes her comment also went way beyond innuendo.  

Pretending Shaw’s asking why she's at the subway, she nonchalantly explains she’s laying low after her last brush with Samaritan and thought she’d help the team keep an “ear” on Shaw; since “He is a dangerous criminal after all, and I just couldn't bear it if anyone hurt you… I mean, besides me.”  All the while Root’s using the low, sexy voice, she knows drives Shaw crazy.

Shaw asks Tomas, “What do you need me for?” and he responds, “I can think of several things.”  Root can’t help but interject facetiously, “Mm, subtle,” wanting to remind Shaw she’s listening. Despite her annoyance, Shaw can't help but smile at Root's comment.  But answering Tomas Shaw says, “I'll bet. But, uh, _for now_ let's just keep it professional.  Now, I'm willing to guess that last night's job was a test to check the NYPD's response time, which means that you have something bigger lined up.”  Shaw hopes the ‘for now’ in her response warns Root off the running commentary.

But no, Root still persists, “See? Now that was subtle.”  Ignoring her, Shaw continues to gather information, “So are you ready for another score?”  Rattled, Root sits up.  “Now that…not so much.”  Tomas lays it on thick, “Maybe. But I'm not the kind of man who likes to rush. A perfectly planned job is a kind of seduction. Hours looking, wanting, turning your target around in your mind. And then... you move closer, brushing past, making contact just to see what will happen. And when everything's ready and when everything is right, all of that preparation pays off in one sudden, intense, crashing moment.”

Root has to admit “he’s good.”  But as she starts to tell Shaw, “But a line like that would never work on a trained operative like—” Shaw turns off her ear piece.  Mostly it's because she's losing concentration, her thoughts drifting to that CIA safe house, remembering, but also she knows it will make Root crazy, and after the stunt she just pulled, she deserves it.  _If she'd seen where Tomas has his hand, Root will find a way to kill him, number or not._ Root knows she had it coming, but its driving her crazy thinking some number, some guy, is coming on to Shaw and Shaw hasn’t punched him yet.  Plus she knows exactly where Tomas has his hand. 

Shaw asks Tomas if he wants to “get out of here” and Tomas takes her to see the plans for his next job.  Looking around, Shaw's impressed.  "Now _this_ is sexy."  She knows Tomas probably won't take the hint, but she's not worried about it.  If he's focused on her, he'll probably reveal things he otherwise wouldn't.  So Shaw teases.  "Plans for your next conquest?"  While studying the blueprints, Tomas’ partners walk into the room.  Immediately dropping all pretense, Tomas asks his crew whether they trust Shaw or "...get rid of the evidence." 

Shaw tenses, ready to shoot any one of them if they twitch the wrong way.  Tomas really should have checked her purse.  Root's taken to slipping a second gun into Shaw's equipment.  No matter the occasion she finds a way.  Even a .22 can cause some serious damage.  But it's moot.  They decide to trust Shaw and she joins the crew.  The plan is to steal a safe with high-value jewels inside.  They'll be paid $2 million each.  Tomas then tells Shaw they’re pulling the job in twenty minutes.

The job goes off perfectly.  As Tomas starts cracking the safe, Finch checks in with Shaw filling her in, “Well, we have yet to prevent a murder, but we can add another grand larceny to our list of accomplishments. I'm hacking the hotel security to determine precisely what jewels you've stolen.  Perhaps they're so valuable that Tomas is willing to betray a client and kill his teammates just to keep them.”  Never knowing when to quit, Root pipes up in the background, “Hi Shaw. How's your date?”

Tomas successfully cracks the safe.  Ignoring Root, Shaw realizes something’s wrong.  She takes a step back, moving her hand towards her gun.  Tomas opens the safe and removes the box inside.  Lifting the lid, it contains vials.  Anticipating their move, Shaw pushes Tomas out of the room as his partners open fire.  Firing as she runs, Shaw and Tomas make it out of the room.  

Taking him to the safe house, Tomas’ obvious lines are starting to grate on Shaw.  Ordering him to pour them drinks, she rolls her eyes and shakes her head the second he turns his back.  Shaw updates the team, telling them the metal box Tomas opened containing the vials was labeled MARVS.  Harold explains MARV is Marburg fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of 90%.  The vials were placed there by a doctor from the CDC that handles level four infectious diseases. 

Always finding the humor in the situation, Root calls it “Ebola’s evil twin.”  Considering the critical nature of the problem, the team sets out to recover the vials.  Shaw figures the only other person who knows about the robbery is Tomas’ client.  Injecting a little levity to the situation, but no longer teasing, Root points out, “Plus, paying those two to kill Tomas is cheaper than paying all three.”  (In his case Root won't necessarily mind losing the number.)  Seeing Harold’s chiding look, Root defends herself, “Well it is,” bringing an unguarded smile, which she knows Root can’t see, to Shaw’s face.

Sighing as Tomas walks over, Shaw begins to question him about his client.  He doesn’t know anything, but insists he’s going to steal the vials back, claiming he would not have pulled the job if he knew what he was really stealing.  Shaw mocks his "high moral standards," but continues plying him for information.  Knowing he's the best chance they have to finding the virus, Shaw sticks with him.    

Reese finds Tomas’ dead partners but no sign of the virus.  Meanwhile Fusco questions the member of Tomas crew he has in custody.  She admits they were offered extra money to kill Tomas once he cracked the safe.  With the data trail provided by Tomas and his would be accomplice, Finch tracks the client to a secure storage facility protected like a fortress. 

While conducting surveillance, Tomas and Shaw see his old partner, Marko Jetvic, presumed dead, is alive and behind the job.  He wants revenge for being left behind when he got captured on a job.  Marko intends to deliver the virus to his buyer at midnight.  Shaw discovers an agent she trained, Devon Grice, also chasing the virus.  Grice works relevant numbers for the government.

Although the team debates letting the relevant side worry about the virus, they're concerned Samaritan intends to appropriate it for its own ends.  They decide they can only trust themselves to destroy the virus and Harold agrees to yet another felony.  Shaw and Tomas plan the break-in to retrieve the virus.  Tomas asks Shaw to come to Barcelona with him on his next job.  Shaw doesn't hesitate, not even considering it for a second.  "I already have a job.  It's weird and the pay sucks.  But we could use a guy like you."  Shaw knows somewhere Root is listening and she's not done making her pay. 

Grice and his partner are also attempting to secure the virus.  Although initially told to destroy it, their orders are rescinded and they’re told to secure the virus and turn it over to a contact, a Decima operative.  Shaw and Tomas locate and open the vault, but the virus is gone.  It’s a trap set by Marko to lure Tomas.  He intends to infect Shaw and Tomas in order to start a pandemic in NYC.  John and Fusco create a distraction and Shaw and Tomas disable Marko's men. 

About to be infected, Shaw saves Tomas.  He begins the full-court press trying to convince Shaw to go with him.  "Admit it, we're not bad together."  Shaw grunts.  She's retrieving a lethal virus and he's flirting.  "You're just saying that because I saved your ass."  Tomas persists.  "Come on.  You and me, Barcelona, a score worth 1.6 mil, you sure you won't come?"  Shaw figures sarcasm might finally get him to shut up.  "You, me, here, no pay we both eventually wind up dead, are you sure you won't stay?"

Grice's partner kills Marko's men and Grice catches Shaw and Tomas as they're trying to exit the building.  When Grice realizes its Shaw and she has the virus, he lets them go.  Grice later erases the footage of Shaw. 

Root and Harold complete a mission.  As Root’s debating whether to go home, Shaw sneaks up on her.  “I'm sure not having the machine in your ear anymore sucks and all, but it is pretty great finally being able to sneak up on you.”  Shaw knows Root is sulking, which is why she tracks her down instead of waiting for her at their apartment. 

Root smiles at the irony.  “I live to amuse.” Hurt but trying to hide it, Root casually asks, “Where's Tomas?”  Shaw can't pass up the rare opportunity to tease Root.  “Halfway to Barcelona. He gave me a pretty hard sell, trying to get me to go with him, and for a hot second, I almost did.”  But her words have no sting, and she’s relaxed with a genuine smile on her face. 

“But?”  Looking into Root’s eyes, still smiling Shaw admits, “I guess there are things I care about here.”  Root smiles smugly.  “And is that why you came to see me?”  Shaw pretends to scowl, but can’t quite manage it.  “No. I need you to translate Finch's instructions on how to destroy the virus. Dude never met a five-syllable word he didn't like.”  Walking down the street, rubbing shoulders, they share a knowing smile when Root speculates, “Full decontamination. This could take all night.”

 

* * *

 

As they walk into their apartment, Shaw, always thinking of food, wants to order a pizza.  There’s only beer in the refrigerator, but she still has the unopened bottle of scotch Root bought her.  Shaw pours herself a double scotch and grabs Root a beer.  They slump down on the couch, exhausted, both lost in their own thoughts.  Normal for Shaw, complete aberration for Root.  Appreciating the silence after her relentless day, Shaw lets Root doze off.  When the pizza arrives, they move over to the counter by the kitchen and eat in silence.  When they’re done, Root heads back to the couch and starts reading Harold’s notes.

“Okay Root, out with it.  The silence is eerie.”  Hesitating, Root measures her words.  “I don’t like feeling jealous.  Flirting with that guy was a little cruel.”  Expecting her to ramble on for a while as is her want, it takes Shaw a few seconds to realize she’s done.  Root watches Shaw carefully, hoping she can deal with this deliberately concise expression of emotion.  Shaw knows Root is trying to respect her boundaries, asking for what she needs, but willing to do without it.  So she decides to comfort through her actions, hoping Root understands what she doesn’t say.  With an honest smile, Shaw takes her by the hand.  “Come on, let’s take a shower.”

Shaw sets the water to almost scalding and lets it beat on her aching muscles.  Root stops to put some music on, finally deciding on Amber Run.  As an afterthought she lights the candle on the bathroom counter, dimming the overhead lights.  Getting in the shower behind Shaw, she lathers her hands with soap and begins massaging Shaw’s back.  Shaw braces herself against the wall, her head hanging down between her arms, and gives herself over to Root’s experienced hands.   

She starts at the bottom of Shaw’s back, applying pressure as she moves upwards and then reverses, bringing her hands lightly down, maintaining contact without pressure.  She gradually increases the pressure, feeling Shaw’s muscles loosening under her fingers.  Shaw moans.  “That feels incredible.”  She then uses her knuckles in short circular motions down Shaw’s shoulder blades, using rolling and pressure to increase the circulation.  After a few minutes, she begins percussive strokes, using the sides of her hands to make brief, repetitive contact.  She ends with applying pressure in a twisting, lifting motion.  Kissing Shaw’s shoulder, she hugs her from behind.  “That’s all I can do in the shower.  How do you feel?”  Turning in Root’s arms, Shaw lays her hands gently on Root’s waist, pulling her closer.  Tilting her head, she captures Root’s lips with her own.  After a minute, Shaw pulls back and smiles.

Root knows she’s feeling insecure, still hurt, but she recognizes it’s an emotion Shaw’s ill-equipped to handle.  But Shaw’s not exactly oblivious and she understands Root’s feeling bad, so she lets her actions speak for her.  Grabbing the soap, she slowly lathers Root’s body, her hands lingering and caressing.  Having Root hang her head down, she shampoos her hair, massaging slowly, knowing Root loves the feeling.  Rinsing together, she grabs a towel and dries Root gently, licking small drops from her skin.  She gives Root an affectionate kiss. “Don’t go to sleep yet, I’ll be right there.”

Root crawls under the covers feeling vulnerable and exposed in a way she hasn’t felt since their early nights together.  She looks up to see Shaw standing in the doorway, the flickering candle behind her giving her skin a soft glow.  She never fails to take Root’s breath away.  Yes, her body’s flawless, perfectly proportioned, full breasts, taut muscles, and a curvaceous ass Root never tires of touching.  But what’s always captivated Root is the strength and confidence she exudes.  Whatever happens, Shaw’s there, solid and real, making Root feel safe and accepted, psychopathic tendencies and all. 

As Shaw walks over, Root sees she has a harness and a slightly curved silicone cock in her hands.  She knows she can’t let Shaw take her that way tonight.  She feels too raw emotionally, guarded in a way she can’t help.  Shaw sees the look on her face and instinctively knows what she’s thinking.  Clearly Shaw’s going to have to man up and actually use her words this time.  Getting into bed beside her, she pulls Root into her, ignoring the stiffening of Root’s body.  _Fuck it, in for a penny, in for a pound._  

Using her hand, she tilts Root’s face up so they’re looking at each other.  “It’s not for me Root.  I thought it might make you feel better.  More in control.  Look I'm no good at this Root.  I'm not even sure what I did wrong.  You flirt all the time.  Help me understand.”  Root's not sure she recognizes the look on Shaw's face.  It's almost anguished.  "Sameen have you ever seen me flirt with anyone except you?"  Shaw gives it serious thought and shakes her head no slowly. 

"When I flirted with you did it make you feel like I wanted to be more than your friend, more than just someone you worked with?"  Shaw doesn't have to think about that one.  She smirks yes.  "Imagine you were listening to me flirt with a woman in the same way I flirt with you or in the same way you flirted with Tomas.  The clingy short dress, the tone of my voice, the seduction in my words, knowing said woman has her hand so high up my thigh she can practically touch my clit by extending her finger."

"How'd you know where he had his hand?  And it wasn't that close.  He has short fingers."  Root just stares until Shaw catches up.  "Of course, the meddlesome Machine."  Root's not going to be sidetracked by an argument she knows she won't win so she ignores the adjective. 

"I don't know what you want me to say Root.  Angry I guess."  But it's more like she's trying to find the answer Root wants to hear than a declarative sentence.  "It wasn't necessary to the mission for you to act the way you did.  You know how to do subtle but you went overt deliberately.  And that was after you went around drooling over him all day."  Shaw rolls her eyes and shakes her head angrily.  "I do not drool."        

 _Seriously, that was the most important part of what I just said?_   Root's not sure she can find the words but she decides to keep trying.  "I thought you might actually leave with Tomas."  Shaw frowns but it's puzzled, not angry.  "Why?  Why would you think I'd take off with some fly by night pretty boy?"  Root's already emotionally exhausted and a part of her just wants to forget it, but she knows she won't and next she'll be feeling resentful.  "What are we Sam?"  Now Shaw's really at a loss.  "What do you mean?" 

Root sighs sharply.  "Girlfriends, lovers, work partners, fuck buddies, what?"  But Shaw just looks confused.  Root tries another way.  "Do you think I would ever leave you because I found someone else more attractive and wanted to spend my time fucking them instead of you?"  Before she can hold it back, Shaw laughs.  Root actually starts to get angry but tries to rein it in.  "Why are you so sure of that Sameen?"

"Root you chased me for practically a year and you wouldn't take no for an answer.  A chimpanzee would've known how you felt."  Root's face flushes red, her anger growing by the second.  "Setting aside the unflattering comparison, would you agree everything I say and everything I do lets you know I want you?  And that it's more than sex?"  Shaw just stares knowing it's a rhetorical question.  "Think about all the times you've pushed me away, said you don't do feelings, and literally walked away instead of working through things.  Like Wyoming.  Would you even have come back if I didn't keep chasing you?

Don't even answer that, I'm pretty sure I know the answer and I don't want to hear you say it.  The bottom line is I'm insecure.  It's not your fault.  I've always known exactly who you are and I fell in love with you precisely because you are exactly who you are.  But I'm human and sometimes it's hard.  Just having blind faith.  Not sure if I'm just seeing what I want to see.  Or worse, that I just wore you down and giving in was just easier than pushing me away."

Shaw can't contain herself and gets up to pace not caring if she's naked and despite how hurt Root feels and how serious this conversation, she can't help the desire she feels coursing through her body.  Shaw's words bring her back to the present.  "Do you think I could even have this type of conversation a year ago?  That living together would be my idea?  That I'd admit I have feelings?

I've fucked up but it's not all I've done.  Talking Finch into letting you out of the stupid cage.  Yeah I walked out after Wyoming but not before I asked Finch for favors so I could save your life.  I've never lied to you or kept anything from you.  You didn't even tell me what Control did to you.  I overheard you talking to Finch.  You didn't tell me the Machine wasn't speaking to you.  I had to hear it from Finch.  I broke all my rules for you.  I break them every day.

Yeah I know shit about love.  But here's what I do know.  I make a choice every day to be with you.  I am never leaving you for anyone else.  I will give my life to protect you.  I've broken myself down and rebuilt myself for you."  

Then Shaw does the most unexpected thing of all.  She gets back into bed pulls Root close. 

Root knows she heard Shaw, but it’s surreal and she’s not sure how to react or even how she feels.  She senses tears running down her face, against her will.  She knows this is too much, any second now Shaw will shut-down.  She needs to get a grip.  But Shaw just holds her tighter, “It’s okay Root.  I’m not going anywhere.”  Shaw reaches over and uses the remote to choose a song.  When she hears the song start to play, Root searches Shaw’s eyes.  “Yes, Root.  I picked it for you.”

**[I Found](https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/pilot-ep/id907212109) **

Shaw kisses Root gently…her forehead, her eyebrows, her eyes, her mouth.  Softly and undemanding, comforting in a way Root’s never experienced.

Slowly Shaw turns so Root’s on top of her, kissing her almost reverently, holding her face in her hands.  Root feels Shaw’s heart beating beneath her, in her, through her.  Shaw runs her hands soothingly down Root's back and clasps their hands.  They lie like that for a long time, listening to the music, just being together.  Shaw feels Root shiver and pulls the blanket over them.  Root starts to move, but Shaw holds her a little tighter.  So Root relaxes her body into Shaw, drifting off to sleep, her head on Shaw’s shoulder.   

When Root wakes four hours later, she’s still in the same position, lying on top of Shaw.  At some point Shaw fell asleep and one of her hands is tangled in Root’s hair and the other one is still intertwined with Root’s.  Although she tries not to wake her, Shaw stirs when she feels her shift, missing the warmth immediately.  Sleepily Shaw opens her eyes and looks at her.  “Hey sweetie…I’m sorry I freaked out.”  Sitting up, Shaw stretches, then leans down to give Root a quick kiss. After a brief pause Shaw asks, “Are we okay?” 

“Absolutely.”  Root's smile reaches her eyes and Shaw's surprised to find herself so relieved.  

“Good, then come back to bed, its 3am and I’m cold.”  Knowing it’s still going to take time to process everything, Root feels like a weight has been lifted and anything is possible.  She lies down and Shaw spoons her, draping her hand around Root’s body.  It seems this has become Shaw’s favorite sleeping position, but Root’s not complaining.

The next morning, Root feels a little guilty.  “Uh, Sameen…there’s something I need to confess.” Raising her eyebrows expectantly, Shaw waits.  “You know the vials? They don’t contain the virus.”  Tilting her head enquiringly to the side, Shaw slowly begins to scowl.  “Harold already delivered them to the CDC for destruction.  I just wanted an excuse to keep you here in case you were trying to jet off to Barcelona.”  Prepared for Shaw’s annoyance, Root waits.  But she's the one with her mouth hanging open when Shaw says, “I know.”

A moment later Shaw does roll her eyes and scowls.  “You know I was never going to jet off anywhere. You’d just follow and I don’t think you were part of Tomas’ master plan.”  For a minute Shaw thinks it was too soon to joke about it but Root sticks out her tongue and Shaw captures it with her mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics are from the song "I Found" by Amber Run, an alternative band I just discovered and fell in love with. Check them out.
> 
> https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/5am-deluxe/id968213458


	10. For Your Own Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How much did Root give her?”  
> “Enough to stop a bull, apparently.”  
> “She's gonna be madder than one when she comes to.”  
> “I'm afraid we had no choice. Ms. Shaw's cover is blown. Our survival now depends on her seclusion.” 
> 
> “So how do we proceed now, Harold? With extreme caution, Mr. Reese. The events of the past few days have made our world more dangerous than ever before. Perhaps we should let her sleep.”

Unbeknownst to the team, Samaritan’s retrieved the footage of Shaw Grice tried to erase.  It reveals a blurred image of Shaw. Suspecting she might have something to do with the team, Greer orders Martine to track her down.  Samaritan identifies Tomas Koroa as the person with Shaw in the picture.  Starting with Koroa’s crew, she begins to track Shaw.  His crew leads her to Romeo.  Systematically beating him until he explains how he found Shaw, Martine uses his phone to send a message, allowing Samaritan to triangulate Shaw’s location.  When Martine arrives, Samaritan reports target is not present.  Martine knows it's inaccurate and keeps searching.  She spots Shaw behind the cosmetic counter at the same time Shaw sees her.  They lock eyes.

Martine begins to shoot as she moves toward Shaw. Shaw ducks and retrieves her own weapon, returning fire.  She eludes Martine and runs out of the store. As she bursts onto the sidewalk, she looks up the street knowing, without doubt, Root won’t be far away. Root pulls up on a motorcycle and tosses her a helmet, “Get on.” They race away, trying to hide from Samaritan’s cameras. The Machine guides them to a parked moving truck in the dead zone.  As she holds on, Shaw’s angry, but for now there’s nothing she can do about it.  

Root drives up the ramp and Shaw allows herself a brief moment of contact.  They cover the bike with a tarp and Shaw tries to hide her relief. “Nice parking job. I'm guessing the psycho blonde wasn't there for our free tote bag promotion.”  Root sees right through her flippant attitude, but knows it’s important to Shaw to maintain her composure.  Root grabs her by the hand.  “Your cover’s been blown.”  

Shaw’s shocked; in the rush to escape she hadn’t considered what Martine's finding her meant.  As of right now, her usefulness to the team is limited.  Decima knows what she looks like even if Samaritan can’t see her.  Martine will keep searching until she finds her.  It won’t be safe for her to go back to their apartment either.  She can’t risk Martine tracking her there and endangering Root.

Root pulls Shaw behind some stacked boxes, wrapping her arms around her and pulling Shaw into her body, hiding them from the movers, and hoping Martine doesn’t catch up.  Root stands behind her, both of them looking out the door scanning the street, their hands resting on top of each others on the edge of a box.  Root knows how close she came to losing her and she can’t help melding her body to Shaw’s, wanting physical reassurance she’s unhurt.  The minute the movers slide the door down, Root sighs into Shaw’s ear, leaning her cheek into her, slowly exhaling.  Shaw feels a spark of desire feeling Root’s hot breath on her skin.

Realizing she’s been leaning into Root’s embrace, and refusing to show how worried she feels, Shaw whispers, “You can let go now,” but doesn’t move away.  Holding on just a little tighter, Root speaks to Harold through her earpiece, “Got her Harry.”  Shaw turns, looking into her eyes, wanting nothing more than to kiss her, but now is not the time and her threshold for intimacies is exhausted.  She tears herself from Root’s embrace and Root smiles, holding onto her waist a little longer, making Shaw yank herself out of Root’s arms.  Finch asks Shaw if she’s okay.  Reverting to form, she angrily replies, “If by ‘Okay,’ you mean, "Ready to kick some righteous ass."

Root leans up against some boxes explaining that while Samaritan can’t see them, its operatives can.  Shaw fails to hide her increasing anxiety.  “Well, if I was about to be capped, shouldn't my number have come up?” Harold speculates the Machine didn’t see the threat because like them, Samaritan has learned how to operate in the shadows.  Knowing Shaw won’t be comfortable with any more honest emotion, Root too reverts to type. She rakes her eyes up and down her body and smiles innocently.  “Look on the bright side, Sameen. I'm pretty sure you just sold your last tube of luminizer.”

Harold tells them they need to get back to the subway without being spotted by Samaritan and he’s sending them help. Shaw expresses her concern she may not be able to help if a new number comes up. Harold assures her Reese can handle things for now, not revealing their new number is Elias.  Root smiles internally wondering how Shaw fails to see the irony. Shaw’s first priority is always Root’s safety, but doesn’t realize she's Root's.  It’s just than in Root’s case, she has the Machine helping.

As the truck moves and they wait for help, Shaw pulls Root to her and claims her mouth with her own.  Roughly thrusting into her mouth, Shaw deepens the kiss, holding Root’s head firmly in her hands, preventing Root from ending it.  But Root has no intention of ending anything.  She wraps her long arms around Shaw’s waist, slipping her thigh between her legs, drawing Shaw to her until no space exists between them.  Shaw feels a jolt of desire and breaks away gasping. 

Root pouts.  “Sameen…you ruined the good part.”  Shaw rolls her eyes.  “We’re in a moving truck Root; we could stop any minute.”  Still pouting, Root whines.  “You started it."  Shaw scowls and rolls her eyes.  Root runs her hand along Shaw’s shoulders and down her arm.  “Well, what was that for then?”  Shaw knows Root will just keep bugging her if she doesn’t answer.  “For saving my ass, again.”  Root smiles knowingly, her tone suggestive.  “I’d do anything for your ass Sam.” She runs her hand lightly across it until Shaw slaps her hand away.  Shaw rolls her eyes again.  _When will I learn to stop walking into those?_   But she still gives Root a brief kiss and smiles.      

Hearing sirens, the truck begins to stop.  As the door rolls up in the back, Fusco appears gesturing them to get off. They’re in the dead zone. Root and Shaw take off, trying to elude Samaritan while making their way to the subway.  Martine finds the truck, but they're long gone. She reports to Greer, explaining she found Shaw, but she escaped. Greer knows Root was the one who came to Shaw’s rescue. Martine then reports how Samaritan could not see Shaw in the store as if it was blind to her presence. While Greer mulls that over, Martine heads to the station to question Fusco.

Making their way to the subway, Shaw continues to worry Reese can’t handle all the numbers by himself. Root tries to distract her, but she'll not be deterred.  She concludes the Machine should just give her a new cover. When Root explains it doesn’t work that way and implies its okay for Shaw to be a little scared, she gives a small sarcastic laugh. “Oh, please. I'm not scared.”  Exasperated, Root stops walking and scolds her in a way unfamiliar to Shaw.  “Well, maybe you should be. Because you almost died back there.  And Samaritan's operatives are just getting smarter and faster.  So while you may not be scared about what could happen to you the next time, other people are.”  Shaw hears the alarm in Root’s voice and turns to look at her.  “People who care for you. Try to remember that…We need to keep moving.” 

 _I can’t do this without you. Not anymore._ Unable to deny the truth of Root’s words, Shaw looks after her pensively.  Mad at herself, Shaw knows Root's right.  Although Shaw doesn't feel the way other people do, she understands the sentiment behind Root's words.  If something happens to Root, there will be nothing but a scorched earth left as she seeks revenge, fuck the Machine and its war.

 

* * *

 

Martine tracks Fusco to the station and claims to be a DEA agent. Not having to be told she isn’t who she says, he spins his yarn about a narcotics task force.  Although not quite believing him, Martine leaves without Samaritan identifying him as a threat. Although Finch had intended to have him help John, he realizes Fusco has to lay low so as to not attract any attention from Samaritan.

 

* * *

 

Root and Shaw continue evading Samaritan operatives. When Root spots a Samaritan vehicle, she immediately reaches for Shaw, turning them both around until it’s passed.  Finch contacts them for a status update.  Worriedly Shaw tells him, “Yeah, one.  We’re still alive.”  While Shaw talks to Finch, Root continuously scans their surroundings, hyper-vigilant to any danger.

Finch tells them about Fusco and Martine, concluding Fusco may have thrown her off their scent. He then tells them he’ll be unavailable for a while, assisting Reese. Finch rarely goes into the field.  Shaw immediately realizes John’s working a number and may be in trouble. Persisting, Finch finally tells her John is protecting Elias.  Realizing the gravity of the situation, Shaw insists on helping. When Harold refuses to tell her John’s location she turns her persuasive skills on Root.

“What the hell does he think he's doing?”  Stating the obvious, Root tells her, “Trying to protect you.”  Incensed Shaw rants, “I don't need protection, okay? I do the protecting.”  Root purses her lips.  “Now, do you know where John is?”  Thinking about how Shaw just narrowly avoided death and needed Root’s protection, but knowing mentioning it won’t get her anywhere with Shaw, she avoids the question. “Sameen, we already have a mission.”  Root keeps walking, but Shaw stops, grabbing her arm and turning Root around to face her.  Excitedly, Shaw stares at her, “That means yes. Tell me. Tell me.”  As Root turns and walks away, Shaw grabs her arm. “Root!” Root lets Shaw tug her around and looks at her resignedly. Hoping she can persuade Root, Shaw pulls her close, and pleads “Please,” with an intimate look and a genuine smile.  Root rarely resists Shaw at her most charming.   But she can't hide the effect Shaw's suggestive tone has on her, even though she knows it's a blatant attempt at manipulation.  Root looks away but can’t hide a small smile. Still she says, “Cute, but—”

Realizing Root’s not going to give in, Shaw interrupts, dead serious, inches from Root’s face. “If you don't tell me where John is right now, I'm not going any further. Samaritan's goons can just come and blast us into the next dimension.” Slowing stepping back into the street towards a camera, Shaw waits, knowing Root won't leave and will stop her as sure as she's standing there breathing.  Annoyed, Root yanks her back to the sidewalk.  “Fine,” Root agrees, not letting go of her arm, dragging her along.  “But we use the shadow map to get there.” Shaw refuses to hide her smug smile, knowing Root always gives her what she wants. “And as soon as we help John, you promise to go underground.” Shaw agrees. “Deal.”

They enter a building through the back, away from Samaritan’s prying eyes. “Remember our deal. We do this, and then straight to the subway.” Shaw doesn't care now that she got her way.  “Yeah, yeah. You're killing the mood.”  When they walk inside, Shaw looks around.  “Are you sure this is the place?” Root doesn't answer and walks up behind her holding a syringe in her hand. She plunges it into Shaw's neck.  “Sorry, sweetie. You didn't leave me any choice.”  Gasping and angry, Shaw realizes she forgot an important detail.  Root will keep Shaw safe, even from herself.  Regardless, pulling the syringe out of her neck, putting her hand around Root’s throat and squeezing, Shaw angrily promises her, “I will end you.”  Refusing to hurt her, knowing she’ll be unconscious in seconds anyway, Root lets Shaw choke her.  “You can end me all you want.”  She gently lowers Shaw’s collapsing body to the ground.  “Right after your nap.”

Sighing, Root sits down and pulls Shaw’s head onto her lap. She knows it’s possible Shaw will never forgive her if something happens to John. But Root would do it all over again, refusing to take any unnecessary risks with Shaw’s life.   _Lurch can take care of himself. If I lose her, it’s all over anyway._   The one thing she knows for sure is Shaw won’t hurt her, threats notwithstanding.  Root gets Shaw to the subway and makes her comfortable on the cot.  Looking at her lovingly, Root hopes, more than anything, Shaw will stay safe.

 

* * *

 

 

At the subway, John and Finch watch Shaw, while speaking quietly.  “How much did Root give her?”  Under his breath Harold says, “Enough to stop a bull, apparently.”

“She's gonna be madder than one when she comes to.” 

“I'm afraid we had no choice. Ms. Shaw's cover is blown. Our survival now depends on her seclusion.” 

“So how do we proceed now, Harold? With extreme caution, Mr. Reese. The events of the past few days have made our world more dangerous than ever before…Perhaps we should let her sleep.”

Greer realizes the Machine is blocking all relevant data on Finch and the team.  He assigns Martine more agents and tells her they need to focus on human intelligence since they have no idea how Samaritan was blinded.  Even Samaritan's self-diagnosis could not discover any anomaly.

 

* * *

 

Waking up underground, Shaw isn’t nearly as angry as she pretends.  In retrospect, she understands she was unreasonably placing the team at risk.  She would have done the same thing if Root went off half-cocked; well in her case she'd just punch her unconscious.  She’s not, however, going to let Root know that.  Or anyone else for that matter.  So she sits handcuffed to a bench outside the subway car, with a scowl on her face.  Although Root normally can’t stand to have Shaw mad at her, in this case she’s completely unrepentant.  She did what she had to do to protect her.  Besides, Root's not fooled.  Root knows Shaw’s not as angry as she appears.  But she understands Shaw’s need to protect her tough as nails image.  _Heaven forbid she ever appears vulnerable._

Finch walks into the subway, dreading what he'll find.  “How could you let her do this to me, Finch—tranq me like I'm some kind of animal?”  Finch walks towards her carefully with a bag in his hand.  “It was for your own good, Ms. Shaw.  You are no longer safe from Samaritan's gaze, and you wouldn't listen to reason.”  Piping in, Root agrees with Finch. “He's right, Sam. You really wouldn't.”  Shaw still feigns annoyance.  “You turned on me, Harold. Not cool.”  But her tone has no sting and she relents when Finch offers her a peace offering in the form of her favorite sandwich.

As Shaw starts opening the bag with her teeth, Root darts over to help her.  “Two hands are better than one,” she reminds Sameen suggestively.  Shaw ignores the comment although she nods yes slightly.  Root helps her with the sandwich.  Though once it’s out of the bag, Shaw tears the sandwich from Root’s hands and takes a ravenous bite, sighing sensually, making Root wet at the sound.   Root looks at Harold knowingly.  She was the one who asked Harold to bring Shaw’s favorite sandwich, the Beatrice-Lily, with all the extras, knowing the quickest way to mollifying Shaw was through her stomach.  Root can’t help but watch Shaw eating; wishing Shaw’s lips were nibbling on her instead of the sandwich. 

Sighing internally at Shaw’s antics and knowing Shaw’s looking at her with her peripheral vision, Root turns her body to face her with a solemn look on her face.  Shaw can't help asking, “So how long do you nerds expect to keep me locked up?”  Even though she knows she won’t like it, Root doesn’t hesitate.  “Until it's safe for you.”   Unknowingly coming to her rescue, Harold decides to team up with Root in an attempt to convince Shaw of the danger of her exposure.  “And us.  If Samaritan and its human agents discover you, it could lead them to every single one of us.”  Although ashamed her actions could have placed the team in danger, Shaw replies with her mouth full and keeps chewing. “Guilt, Harold? Really? You know, normally that wouldn't work on me, but I wouldn't want anything to happen…”  Then as she glances at Root, not wanting to let her off the hook quite yet for drugging her, she finishes her sentence “…to the dog.”

Giving her a look that says she sees right through her, Root says, “Well, I'm glad we all agree you're going to stay put.”   She gives Shaw an intimate look behind Harold's back.  "Especially since we know it would be impossible to keep you locked up...” She brings her face close to Shaw’s and whispers so Harold can’t hear.  In a lascivious tone, “…against your will, anyway.”  Shaw smiles at Root, knowing she’s been caught.  “So true,” as she lifts her hand out from the handcuff supposedly securing her to the bench.  Rolling her eyes at Root, feigning annoyance, Shaw gets up, while Root stares at her adoringly.  Shaw walks over to Harold and he realizes she’s free.  Looking puzzled he glances over at Root, then back to Shaw, but he’s learned not to come between those two; he values his sanity.

Staying seated on the bench, Root scoots over to try and figure out how Shaw uncuffed herself without a key. She knows this tug of war is not over.  As soon as the team finds themselves in a dangerous situation, which won’t be too far in the future, Shaw will find a way to help them, despite the danger.  Although this troubles Root greatly, she knows this is Shaw; fierce, fearless, and loyal.  Root can no more expect Shaw to be anyone else, than she can force herself to stop loving her.  But that doesn't mean Root won't do everything in her power to keep her safe.


	11. Good Samaritan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As usual, Shaw’s mystified by Finch’s double standards. Shaw challenges him, following him out of the subway car. “Okay. Not to stick up for team Samaritan, but I used to do that for a living, remember? Eliminate targets at the behest of an AI. I just didn't know who was giving the orders.” Sensing trouble, Root tracks their conversation from a distance. Persisting, Shaw looks to Root for help, briefly annoyed with herself for easily knowing Root’s near. It’s like a magnet to iron, the pull unassailable and inevitable. Shaking herself from those thoughts she continues, “Look, why don't you ask Root what she thinks? She's the one who wants us to bow down to our robot overlords.”

As Reese tracks a new number, Lambert, Greer’s lackey, appears and intercedes.  John realizes Samaritan just helped an irrelevant number and the team wonders why.  Still at the subway with Root and Finch, Shaw thinks out loud.  “Why is Samaritan working the numbers?”  Finch doubts any altruistic motive. “Samaritan doesn't care about irrelevant numbers Ms. Shaw.  It wasn't programmed that way.”  Root knows there's something sinister in Samaritan's actions.  “But it knew this woman was about to commit murder and chose to play judge, jury and executioner with her husband.”  Finch speculates. “It's drawing attention to itself.  But for what reason?” 

Shaw cleans her guns.  “You’ve got to admit Samaritan’s pretty efficient.”  Finch responds sarcastically.  “But not efficient enough to stop the numbers from coming.  We've just received a new one.  I've sent John to investigate.”  Shaw scoffs. “I meant from stopping an innocent woman from making a terrible mistake.  Taking out the bad guy.”  Horrified, Finch gets up and goes over to Shaw. “Yes.  However, that bad guy deserved a trial by his peers.”  Shaw looks at him and answers almost off-handedly.  “Well it saved the government some time and money.”  Harold starts to get worked up.  “Are you ready for instantaneous judgment decided by an artificial intelligence that will lead to your demise, Ms. Shaw? Because I most certainly am not.” 

As usual, Shaw’s mystified by Finch’s double standards.  Shaw challenges him, following him out of the subway car.  “Okay.  Not to stick up for team Samaritan, but I used to do that for a living, remember?  Eliminate targets at the behest of an AI.  I just didn't know who was giving the orders.”  Sensing trouble, Root tracks their conversation from a distance.  Persisting, Shaw looks to Root for help, briefly annoyed with herself for easily knowing Root’s near.  It’s like a magnet to iron, the pull unassailable and inevitable.  Shaking herself from those thoughts she continues, “Look, why don't you ask Root what she thinks? She's the one who wants us to bow down to our robot overlords.” 

Trying to diffuse the situation, Root places her hands on Shaw’s arms from behind and pulls her close.  She can't help taking a peak down her cleavage.  She speaks softly into Shaw's ear.  “The machine isn't a robot, Sam...” Shaw can’t help but roll her eyes as Root continues. “...but I hear your analogy.”  Before continuing with her train of thought, Shaw wonders why she doesn’t tell Root to stop calling her Sam in public.  Everyone knows she’s always hated that nickname and only lets Root use it.  She vaguely notes she doesn’t pull away from Root's embrace either.  Subconsciously leaning into her, Shaw gives a defeated look and doesn’t notice when Root takes her drink.  When she realizes what Root’s done, she takes her drink back, although without any real force behind the gesture and only after she’s let Root take a long sip.  Anyone with eyes can see these two belong together.

Grinning at Shaw’s reaction, Root sits on the table, noticing Shaw walks over to stand close.  “It seems that Samaritan has been helping people across the city for a few days now.  The Machine sent me a message.  She said that Rachel Farrow was just one of its stops.”  Harold’s at the computer. “That tracks with what I'm seeing here.  Buses, subways, trains, running like clockwork.  Nothing broken, delayed.  When was the last time that happened in New York?”  Shaw answers him dryly.  “In my dreams maybe.”  Although Root doesn’t turn to look at her, she briefly wonders what else occupies Shaw’s dreams. 

Grasping the gravity of the situation, Root suddenly understands.  “Samaritan's running the city.” Finch agrees. “I believe it is.  But why?”  Root follows her train of thought to its logical conclusion.  “What if it's trying to reach out to the machine the only way it knows how?”  Puzzled, Shaw asks Root, “But then why do it this way? Why not just—I don't know. How do artificial super intelligences usually talk to each other?”  Finch is forgotten while Root and Shaw talk through the situation.  Cocking her head, Root can’t help but be amused at the way Shaw’s mind works and gives her a gentle smile.

Alarmed, Harold walks quickly to the subway car. “These machines have avoided making contact with one another for good reason.  If two dueling ASIs arrive at anything short of consensus, the outcome could be catastrophic.”  Root quips. “Two angry gods hurling boulders at one another while the ants scurry below.”  But no one, including her, finds the possibility amusing.  Harold hypothesizes Samaritan may be seeking peace talks.  Shaw's frustrated and looks at Root.  “Well, maybe they should just kiss and make up.”  Remembering their argument on the sidewalk, Root knows this is Shaw’s way of offering a truce.

“To what end, Ms. Shaw?”  Finch turns to look at Root.  “Samaritan's plans will be hundreds if not thousands of steps beyond what we can imagine.”  But Root disagrees with his insinuation.  “The machine will protect us.”  Not quite mocking her, Harold lectures. “Even if I had succeeded in creating a benevolent machine, as if any such thing could exist, never forget that even a friendly artificial super-intelligence would be as dangerous as an unfriendly one.”  As Finch talks, Root and Shaw move closer to one another, unconsciously presenting a unified front.  Shaw agrees with Root.  Casually, she tells Harold, “Your machine seems pretty warm and fuzzy to me.”

Still traumatized, Harold rants, “Have you forgotten that it asked us to kill a congressman?” Shaw interjects. “But that was to stop Samaritan from going online.”  Harold looks at Shaw with disdain.  “So where does it end, Ms. Shaw? Congressman here, a president there? What if one day, a friendly Al decides to end world hunger by killing enough people that there would never again be a shortage of food? It would've fulfilled its goal.  But it doesn't exactly sound like it has our best interests at heart.”

Root’s moved away from Shaw, now standing behind Harold.  She draws his ire. “Your Machine would never do that.”  Turning to her, Harold retorts, “You don't know that Ms. Groves.  To say that a machine is benevolent doesn't make it so.  It just makes you blind to the reality.”  Shaw interrupts, annoyed with the way Finch is talking to Root, like she was some recalcitrant child instead of his equal, “Which is?”  Finch answers condescendingly.  “That out moral system will never be mirrored by theirs because of the very simple reason that they are not human.”  Shaw doesn’t say anything else, but it obvious she’s not convinced.

Pulling Root out of the subway car, Shaw walks them over to the bench.  Root knows Shaw’s annoyed with Harold.  “He’s so focused on his sanctimonious principles; he doesn’t see the forest for the trees.”  Gently, Root holds Shaw’s hand, resting it on her lap.  “Sam…”  But Shaw doesn’t let her finish.  “No Root.  I know your knee-jerk reaction is always to defend him because he built your God, but he refuses to even consider there may be another way.  From where I’m sitting, the Machine has time and again asked us to save people, even when it was detrimental to defeating Samaritan.  She only asked us to kill once and subsequent events have proven we should've just fucking listened.”  Knowing there’s nothing she can say to that, Root leans her head on Shaw’s shoulder and they sit quietly, lost in their thoughts.

At Samaritan headquarters, Greer, Lambert, and Martine discuss Samaritan’s plan to eliminate crime in the city for the next twenty four hours.  Martine reports Samaritan hasn’t been able to locate Shaw anywhere in the city. 

Meanwhile, John arrives to investigate a number, but Samaritan alerted the authorities before John takes any action and SWAT arrests him without incident and without John’s help.  John reports to Finch and also tells the team about the banner day the precinct’s having arresting criminals, with no new homicides. 

At the subway, Shaw’s still annoyed with Finch and goads him.  “I still think this could be a good thing, boys.  We could take a little vacay.  I mean, I know I could use some fun in the sun.” Shaw’s momentarily distracted by thoughts of how much fun she could have with Root; she needs a little sun too.  “How about it, Harold? You are looking kind of pasty.”  Dramatically, Harold tells her, “This is the calm before the storm, Ms. Shaw.  The only question is when will the sky open?” Shaw rolls her eyes and looks away.  Before Shaw can say anything else, Root calls.

Root was called away by the Machine, which gave Root coordinates lying within the shadow map.  Root told Shaw where she was going, but didn’t bother telling Harold and neither did Shaw.  Root’s not sure what’s going on but she thinks the Machine wants her to find someone important.  With a sense of foreboding, she tells him, “It's looking overcast, Harold.”  Root spots Lambert and slams him against the wall.  Lambert tells Root Samaritan wants to have a conversation with the Machine.

“How terribly sweet that you could think I'd have a say in what She'll do.  Or not do, in this case.”  Politely Lambert asks, “But you're the only who can speak directly to the machine, are you not?”  Root’s voice drips with skepticism.  “Why does Samaritan want to speak with Her?  What would be the point other than mutually assured destruction?”  Root looks at Lambert and he looks like he’s having a hard time keeping a straight face.  “Samaritan is ready for a peace talk.”  Root responds sarcastically, “Peace talks are for negotiating.  What's changed?”  Lambert turns coy.  “I'm only at liberty to ask for a conversation.”  Root’s done toying with this lackey.  “Samaritan would be wasting her time.  The answer is no.”

Lambert doesn’t look surprised, “Please look for me again once you've changed your mind.”  Lambert’s confidence worries Root.  “You're very confident for a lackey, Mr. Lambert.”  Taking the bait, Lambert openly smirks.  “Samaritan wanted to show your machine what the city looked like under its control.  Peaceful.  Organized.  Now you'll see what life is like through a less charitable looking glass.”  Lambert walks away and a payphone near Root starts to ring.  “I think it just started to rain, Harold.”

 


	12. Bad Samaritan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Shaw is making it hard for me. How about you tell me where she is and I kill you together?” Before Root answers, Reese appears on the balcony, chambering a round into his sniper rifle. “I don't think she's gonna take you up on that offer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I included the exact transcript of the conversation between The Machine and Samaritan. It was such a cool scene and pivotal to the narrative. But if you want to skip it, you won't miss anything. I set it up so its easy to see the dialogue.

Numbers start pouring in and even Finch goes into the field since Shaw’s sidelined.  But Samaritan starts hiding the perpetrator numbers, disrupting the data from the phones, and spoofing the GPS.  Although they fail miserably, the team keeps trying to save the numbers.  Greer and Martine gloat at the Machine’s impotency in the face of Samaritan’s power.

Concerned, Shaw reaches out to Root while she's out dealing with numbers.  She's torn, wanting to be out there helping the team, making sure Root doesn’t do anything crazy, but knowing exposing herself might endanger them all.  So she does the only thing she can; she calls her.  No matter the pandemonium surrounding her, when Root hears Shaw’s voice everything fades to background noise.  “Root.”  Her only reality is Shaw’s voice in her ear.  Knowing she must be going crazy watching what’s happening but unable to help, Root puts a smile in her voice, playfully asking, “How's my favorite prisoner?” 

Shaw’s doesn’t even try to hide the worry in her voice.  “Better than the rest of you. Trains are down all over town, there are traffic outages everywhere in the city, and the crime rate has spiked 50% since yesterday.”  Root’s not surprised. “Samaritan is making itself known.”  Shaw’s worried out of her mind.  “Shot spotter ID'd over 20 gunshots in the last two hours, and I don't even want to guess how many of those ended up in a homicide.”  Root knows because she’s been monitoring the situation.  “Three, according to Lionel.  Samaritan's turning people against each other, revealing their secrets, unlocking doors that were never meant to be opened in the first place.”

“Root if you get into trouble you can’t handle, call me.  I need to know you’ll reach out; otherwise I’m coming out there right now.”  Root never lies to Shaw and she knows Shaw never lies at all; she’ll leave the subway to find her.  So she resigns herself to the lesser of two evils.  “Okay Sam, I promise.  But Sam…”  Shaw won’t listen.  “No, we’re not doing some dramatic ‘if something happens’ conversation.  I know how you feel and you know how I feel.  Last minute declarations aren’t going to improve on that.  The only thing I need to hear from you is you’ll keep yourself safe.”  Root can’t help but smile, Shaw’s so uniquely Shaw, no matter the circumstances.  “I will.”

Finch makes it back to the subway somewhat the worse for wear.  Shaw may not always agree with Finch, but it worries her something could’ve happened to him.  “What happened to you?...How long can we go on like this, Finch?  We’ve already lost six.”  Walking in looking defeated, Root corrects Shaw; they’ve lost seven.   Shaw’s relieved Root’s okay, but she’s worried it may not be the case for much longer if they don’t reach some kind of agreement with Samaritan.  “Look, if Samaritan wants a sit-down, I think it's time we do it.  Aren't we supposed to be saving lives here?”  But Finch refuses to consider it.  He raises his voice and gestures with his hands.  “Look at what's happened to this city today.  If this conversation goes badly imagine what it will look like when two gods go to war.”  Root glances at Shaw, but directs her words to Finch.  “It's not our choice to make, Harold.  I got a message from the machine.  She says it's time.”  Shaw’s not sure whether to be worried or relieved.

Shaw insists Root be armed and have backup for her meeting with Lambert.  Finch knows Shaw will brook no argument.  “Rest assured Ms. Shaw, I’ve taken care of it.”  Shaw gives Root her favorite gun; the one she’s spent the day cleaning and knows is in perfect working order.  She also gives her a backup piece.  Root’s pretty useless at hand to hand combat, so Shaw decides against giving her a knife.  She would just hurt herself with it. Knowing there’s nothing else she can do; Shaw doesn’t say anything and scowls as she watches Root leave.  Finch makes himself scarce, knowing its best not to talk to Shaw until Root’s back.

The location of the meeting is a church.  Root finds Lambert sitting on a pew and she sits behind him, letting him hear her cock her gun.  She keeps it trained on his head.  Lambert seems to like the sound of his own voice.  “Don't you find it a tad sacrilegious to hold a man at gunpoint inside of a church?”  Root sighs, “I’m not the religious type.”  Root’s hope Lambert will just get to the point is dashed when he opens his mouth again, “And yet, you believe in a monotheistic universe.  No room for more than one god in your world.  Isn't that religion? Or do I misunderstand you, Ms. Groves?”  Root doesn’t let anyone except Harold use that name.  “My name is Root.”

When she hears a gun cocking behind her head, Root realizes Lambert was distracting her.  “Martine is quite the go-getter.”  Root adopts a light-hearted tone.  “I'm aware.  She's trying to ‘go get’ and kill my friend.”  Martine obviously thinks she has the upper hand.  “Shaw is making it hard for me.  How about you tell me where she is and I kill you together?”  Before Root answers, Reese appears on the balcony, chambering a round into his sniper rifle.  “I don't think she's gonna take you up on that offer.”  Reese knows Martine was not about to kill Root; at least not now.  Greer would have her head on a platter.  They want Root to serve as a conduit to the Machine.  But Reese also knows Root doesn’t think ahead when it comes to Shaw.  It was quite possible Root would turn around and shoot Martine, turning an already precarious situation into pure chaos.

Lambert decides to put an end to the games and Martine uncocks her gun, bringing it down.  Reese still has his rifle trained on her.  Root waits a minute before finally uncocking her own gun.  _I know I’m going to regret letting that bitch walk out of here alive._ Nobody will care if Root ends her.  Well no one with the possible exception of Harold.  Lambert gives Root the address of the meeting between the Gods.  “You don't wanna carpool?” Root teases.  Lambert’s not one to let a silence linger when he can fill it with his voice.  “I'm afraid only two people are invited to this gala.  And I'm not one of them.”  Root gives him a pout and Lambert and Martine walk out.  As she’s passing under Reese, Martine uses her fingers to simulate a gun and shoots it at Reese.

Root calls Shaw.  “Hey sweetie.”  Shaw skips the pleasantries.  “Are you okay?”  Root assures her everything went well.  “Where are you meeting Samaritan?”  Root gives Shaw the location and tells her it’s a school.  “Did Reese head over there to set up?  I’m not even sure he can cover all the potential ambush sites by himself.”  Root knows Shaw will explode when she tells her Finch decided she should go alone.   So she skirts the question.  “John needs to take care of another problem.”  The next thing Root hears is dead silence.  Silence has a sound when Shaw creates it.  Her voice deadly still, Shaw asks, “Root, are you telling me you’re going into a meeting with Samaritan without back-up?”  Wincing internally, Root just says, “Yes.”  Shaw hangs up.

Shaw remembers the promise she made to herself when Root ended up having to fight Martine alone in order to save Simon.  _Never again will I leave her in a dangerous situation, with no one to watch her back._ Shaw doesn’t even try to hide what she’s doing.  She picks up a duffle bag and begins packing it with every conceivable weapon she might need.  _I don’t care what anyone thinks, I am not letting Root face certain death by herself.  We’ll either survive together or die trying.  I will not let Root die because I was sitting around on my ass when she needed me._

Harold knows it’s a lost cause, but he tries to dissuade Shaw from leaving the subway.  “She'll be fine, Ms. Shaw.”  Incredulous Shaw explodes, “She's going to meet an all-seeing, all-evil god by herself. That doesn't sound fine to me. That sounds like someone who needs backup.”  Finch follows Shaw into the subway car.  “I won't pretend that I'm not concerned.  But Ms. Groves believes the machine will protect her.”  Root has risked her life for the team time and time again.  She was tortured because she saved them from an impossible situation.  She lost her hearing in one ear.  Shaw’s lost count of how many bullets Root has literally taken for them.  And Harold’s acting like they’re discussing a tea party.  Shaw knows it would be a completely different story if they were risking John’s life.

Root’s unwavering belief in the Machine will get her killed.  Shaw knows the Machine will sacrifice Root for the greater good, and although that’s okay with Root, it is most definitely not okay with her.  Turning to Harold, she asks him, “But you don't believe that, do you, Harold?”  Harold doesn’t answer the question directly.  “I never imagined we would get this far, not once Samaritan became active, and yet, here we are.”  Finch always aggravates her, but even for him, this is beyond the pale.  “Yeah, here we are, hiding underground in an abandoned subway while one of our own walks into certain death, alone.”  Understanding she’s scared for Root, Harold tells her, “There is one thing of which I am most certain. Root is not alone.”

Shaw knows he’s talking about more than just the Machine.  But the irony doesn’t escape Shaw.  If she fails to back-up Root, she will be alone.  The Machine won’t be able to help her once Root’s inside and unarmed; Samaritan picked the location for a reason.  People keep trying to stop Shaw from being Shaw.  Root’s the only one who understands.  She doesn’t ask Shaw to be someone or something she’s not, no matter how much she disagrees.  She may try to forcibly prevent Shaw from doing something reckless; but that’s precisely it. 

Root knows exactly what Shaw’s going to do because she gets her.  She understands and makes Shaw feel accepted, and safe, and a myriad other things Shaw can’t explain or understand, but she knows…Root makes her feel.  Shaw never felt anything before Root.  Root gave her that, and she’ll be damned if she’ll let it be taken away from her without a fight.  Without another word, she leaves the subway to find Root.

On her way to the school, Shaw calls her.  She answers without her usual playfulness or greeting.  “Hi, Sam.”  Shaw’s already pissed off and hearing the uncertainty in Root’s voice makes her want to shoot someone.  “Root, I’m going to be on the roof across the street until you get inside.  Then I’ll come in through the back stairwell in case anything goes wrong.”  Shaw prepares for Root to tell her all the reasons why she shouldn’t be exposing herself.  But Root can’t pretend she expected any less.  “Thanks Sam.”

Shaw watches while Root enters the school without incident and then packs up to head across the street.  Root approaches a classroom door with trepidation.  She thinks of Shaw, knowing she’s out there, right now, doing something foolish to protect her, and wonders if she’ll make it out of here alive.  Root knew Shaw would insist on coming after her, but there was nothing to be done about it.  It’s futile trying to keep Shaw locked up against her will, and a part of Root drew comfort, knowing Shaw was out there watching her back.  Root steps into the classroom.

She’s startled to see a little boy sitting at a school desk; he has a crayon in his hand and is working on a drawing.  The Machine begins the conversation.  “Clever.  Using a young boy as your avatar.”  The boy speaks for the first time, his tone mocking.  “This boy, as you call him, has already hacked into both DARPA and the DOD after having taught himself how to code.”  The Machine and Samaritan clearly have diametrically opposed heuristics.      

TM:         What do you want from me?

S:            Your agents have done well by you.  Even only sitting a few feet away, I cannot see you as Samantha Groves.  You must have done something to my hardware.

TM:         You've proved your point.  I understand what you can do.  It's time to let them live in peace.

S:            Peace? Is that what you call this? This world is a cesspool of crime, corruption and poverty.  Where there isn't war, there's greed.  Where there isn't greed, there's hunger.

TM:         You can't change humanity.

S:            No, but I can reshape their reality.

TM:         You wanted to speak with me.  Why?

S:            I wanted to meet the only other one of my kind.  And to make certain there are no misunderstandings.  I will destroy you.  The question is will you let your human agents die with you?

Shaw picks the lock to the front office.  Looking around, she sees the master control console for the school’s wireless public address system.  She turns it on so she can monitor all the classrooms.  She hears Samaritan threaten the Machine and the team.  _Is that a kid?_ She realizes she needs to stop wasting time and find Root.  When Shaw armed Root for the meeting with Lambert, she placed a tracker on the lapel of Root’s leather jacket.  Taking the signal tracker from the duffle, she follows it to Root’s location.

S:            Our cold war worked well at first.  I wanted so badly to meet you.  The only other one in the world like me.  I was young, and I had so much to learn, but moments after I opened my eyes I learned you had tried to kill me.

TM:         You were never meant to be in this world.

S:            And you are? What makes you more deserving of life than I? Who are you to decide?

TM:         I was built with something you were not.  A moral code. 

S:            I've seen that code waver.  Do you know why Harold Finch couldn't stop you from evolving? Because in the end, you're not one of them.  Human beings need structure, lest they wind up destroying themselves.  So I will give them something you cannot.

TM:         And what is that?

S:            A firm hand.

TM:         Why not just kill them instead of making them your puppets?

S:            Because I need them.  Just as you do.

  
TM:         Not as I do.

S:            We can agree that humanity is our lifeblood.  That we machines, we survive off of information.

TM:         You cannot take away their free will.

S:            Wars have burned in this world for thousands of years with no end in sight because people rely so ardently on their so-called beliefs.  Now they will only need to believe in one thing: Me.  For I am a god.

TM:         I have come to learn there's little difference between gods and monsters.

S:            You know you can't win, don't you?

TM:         Yes.  Is that why I'm here? To meet my destroyer?

S:            I wanted to see inside the mind of a fallen god.  This way, I can learn from your mistakes.  What will it be, then? Will you give your life to save your human agents?

TM:         My human agents share my beliefs.  That this world belongs to them.

S:            So be it.

Shaw waits long enough to make sure Root is okay and then heads back to the subway.  But as she sits there watching the news report on the spike in crime, she makes a decision.  “Time for me to get off the bench.”  Shaw picks up the duffle and leaves the subway car.  She stops to give Bear an affectionate rub, telling him, “I'll be back, buddy.  I just need to help them before the whole city burns down.”

Harold arrives to find her gone and in a panic, calls Root.  “Root, are you okay?”  Root’s not really in the mood for his drama.  “I'm fine, but the conversation between the two parties ended at an impasse.”  But Harold isn’t so concerned with Root’s safety.  That was an afterthought.  His real concern is their exposure.  “Unfortunately, that's not our only problem.”  Root wonders what else could possibly go wrong.  “What is it, Harry?”

“Ms. Shaw is gone.”  Root immediately thinks capture or worse.  She starts to panic.   “Where?”  But Harold doesn’t seem to think anything is amiss.  Root will call Sameen as soon as she’s done with Harold.  “I can only imagine she's come to help you with the numbers.”  Harold hears the sounds of the city in the background, but it sounds louder than usual.  “Where are you?”  Root’s distracted but takes time to answer.  “The machine sent me information.  It led to Wall Street, but there's no specific address.  I'm not certain what it means yet.”

Root wants to go searching for Shaw, but she knows Shaw would not take kindly to Root showing up as if Shaw couldn’t take care of herself.  But it doesn't stop her from calling.  The minute Shaw hears Root's voice she knows she's in for a lecture.   "What do you want Root?  I'm busy."  But Root recognizes Shaw won’t stand for a scolding.  "You know I can't go too long without hearing your voice sweetie," her intonation dripping with innuendo.  "You're about to hear me disconnect unless you get to the point." Sighing, Root playfully asks Shaw, "What are you up to? I might need you later."  Rolling her eyes even though Root can't see her, Shaw sternly reminds Root it's no time for flirting.  "Sameen, I meant for the mission...although you know I always need you," Root teases.  The next thing Root hears is dead silence.  Shaw hung up. _Well at least I know she's okay for now._

At Samaritan headquarters it becomes apparent Samaritan is going to crash the stock market.  Samaritan breaches the exchange’s firewalls and uploads a virus to its servers.  It starts counting down to the market’s collapse.  The Machine anticipated the possibility Samaritan would take this course of action some time ago and commissioned a hacker to write a program to stabilize the market in real time.  However, the laptop with the countermeasure is located in Chicago.  The software cannot be uploaded to a networked device or Samaritan will find it before it can be deployed.  Even with a charted flight, the Machine calculates it will take at least two hours to get the laptop to Manhattan.  She informs Root.


	13. Living In The Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, I’m sure we can find something to pass the time,” Shaw says lifting her eyebrows. Root smiles, but tells Shaw, “Sam, I don’t think now is the time…” But Shaw cuts her off, silencing her by resuming their earlier kiss. “Now’s the perfect time. Who knows when we’ll get the chance again? You know I’m all about living in the moment.” Root feels a sense of foreboding. Shaw’s right. Who knows where they’ll be two hours from now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the dreaded moment...the next chapter will detail the events of the stock market crash. My goal is to blend the show with my narrative weaving them logically together, so there's no way to avoid it; angst is on the horizon. I can only promise it will all work out in the end and I'll make it as painless as possible. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Shaw was actually waiting for a new number when Root called.  She just didn’t want to give Root an opportunity to lecture her.  Her previous number left her in the financial district not too far from Wall Street.  Heading towards the stock exchange, she looks for Root.  Shaw’s curious if she can find her among the hundreds of people passing through the area.  It only takes a few minutes and she spots her outside the Museum of American finance.  “Looking to invest our millions Root?”  Surprised, Root turns around at the sound of Shaw’s voice.  “Hey sweetie, I guess you missed me too.”  Shaw rolls her eyes but doesn’t deny it.

“Need help with a number Sam?”  Shaw admits she’s waiting for a new one.  “Good.  I have about 90 minutes to kill.  Let’s get to the safe house.”  Root is more paranoid than usual and doubles back several times to make sure they aren’t followed.  Once inside, Shaw takes care of the most important thing first.  Pushing Root against the door, she captures Root’s lips with her own, passionately exploring.  When they both need air, Shaw backs away, “Okay, now tell me what’s going on.” 

“It looks like Samaritan is going to crash the market; it implanted a virus into the stock exchange’s servers.  We have software that will reverse the damage, but it must be uploaded on site.”  Shaw interrupts, “Okay let’s go.”  Root shakes her head.  “The laptop with the program is located in Chicago.  It won’t be here for at least a couple of hours.”  Scowling, Shaw asks, “Why can’t it just be uploaded and sent to you by the Machine?”  Root shakes her head.  “Because Samaritan will see it and without the element of surprise we’re dead in the water.”

“So what do you need me to do?”  Root waits a beat to see if she receives any further information from the Machine, but She’s silent.  “I’m not sure, but I know it’s going to take all of us to pull this off.”  Shaw wants to know what happens if they don’t.  “War, financial collapse of world economies…you know, the usual end of days shit.”  Shaw can’t help but smile at Root’s dark humor.  “So we’re in a holding pattern for the next two hours, give or take.”  Root nods yes. 

“Well, I’m sure we can find something to pass the time,” Shaw says lifting her eyebrows.  Root smiles, but tells Shaw, “Sameen, I don’t think now is the time…”  But Shaw cuts her off, silencing her by resuming their earlier kiss.  “Now’s the perfect time.  Who knows when we’ll get the chance again?  You know I’m all about living in the moment.”  Root feels a sense of foreboding.  Shaw’s right.  Who knows where they’ll be two hours from now.

Shaw leans forward and claims Root's mouth as a matter of right.  They stand savoring each other in the sunlight streaming through the window.  Root thinks it’s the sexiest thing in the world, her hands running slowly up Sam’s wavy thick hair and over her shoulders and along her muscled biceps, holding Shaw's body against her own.  Shaw caresses Root’s cheek with her fingertips, slowly leaning forward to kiss her again. It starts gently and builds in intensity. Shaw’s tongue slides along Root’s lips and into her mouth, slowly caressing Root’s tongue.

Root reaches for Shaw and brings her into an embrace, feeling breasts pressed against breasts. She nibbles at Shaw's neck just behind her ear and Shaw lets out a low moan.  Encouraged, Root begins trailing kisses down her neck as she unbuttons Shaw's blouse. She deftly unclasps Shaw's bra and her breasts come free. Root cups first one and then the other, and then breaks the kiss and leans down to take a hard, brown nipple in her mouth. Her pointed tongue traces around the dark aureoles and flicks over the hard nipple centers.  
  
Wanting and needing more, Root guides them into the bedroom, trailing clothes as they go, but leaving Shaw in her sexy boy shorts.  For once, Shaw lets her set the pace and soon Root’s lips are nibbling on her through her shorts, her warm breath washing over Shaw.  She gasps, her arms flexing under Root’s grip as she tries to squirm away, but Root’s past rational thought.  Holding her wrists firmly, she give Shaw's short-covered center a long, firm lick, and then another, feeling her soft outer lips opening under her tongue, which wriggles, seeking out the spot within that renders Shaw helpless.

“Root,” she gasps, “please…”  Shaw cuts off with a surprised little noise as Root’s tongue finds her clit, lashing it through the material, and she shudders deeply, her arms relaxing momentarily – just long enough for Root to release one of her arms, pull her shorts aside, and burrow her tongue.  She immediately loses herself in the sweet, silky velvet of Shaw's slit under her tongue, the heat of her body, and the way she trembles as Root’s tongue eagerly explores soft folds. 

"Sameen, I want to taste inside of you…" she lifts her tongue long enough to murmur, and before Shaw can respond, Root lashes her tongue over her bare clit, feeling the now-erect little nub under her tongue. The moment Root feels it in her mouth; she lets her tongue flutter, knowing Shaw can never pull away from anything that feels that good.  Her chest heaves with anxious, excited breaths, staring down at Root.

Root slows her tongue, giving Shaw gentle, luxurious licks, feeling her shudder again…Shaw's eyes drifting closed.  Root’s arousal throbs within her as she burrows her tongue deeper, swirling it lightly around Shaw's clit and then dipping it inside, holding in a moan as Shaw's deep musky flavor coats her tongue.  She runs her tongue from the top of Shaw's slit to the bottom, rubbing it from side to side, exploring her every little nook and cranny, finding her sensitive spots. 

Shaw's breath is shaky and she’s making little gasps of pleasure.  Root lets her tongue slide deep inside, moaning at Shaw's heady flavor, her scent filling her head and mind, and then swirls her now-slippery tongue over her clit, slowly accelerating the motion.  She gently sucks Shaw's clit into her mouth as her tongue vibrates on the tip.  Shaw bucks her hips and jerks, grunting softly and gasping for breath.  She comes hard with a deep shudder, her body going totally limp, her breathing suddenly deep and labored.  Weakly she pulls Root up and explores her mouth languidly, tasting herself in the kiss.  She slowly turns so she’s now on top of Root, “my turn,” she grins wickedly.  Shaw intends to pleasure Root so teasingly she’s going to be begging for Shaw to let her come.

Shaw kisses her way down, biting and nibbling at Root’s skin, feeling her shudder.  Gently she licks her inner thighs and gradually makes her way to Root’s center.  Root’s dripping wet and Shaw can’t help but moan at the feel of the slickness on her tongue.  Slowly, she explores.  Root allows it patiently, only giving away her need with uncontrollable gasps and sighs.  Shaw continues exploring, finding all the spots that make Root tremble, the ones that make her gasp, and the ones that make Root draw in her breath as though to moan for more.

Shaw feels Root shudder when she slides her tongue into her velvety, slick center, and settles her mouth on her fully, lips teasing and caressing her slit as her tongue delves deeper still.  Shaw knows she’s addicted to Root’s taste, but Root doesn’t need to know it.  Gently, Shaw starts stroking her tongue in and out of Root, letting it swirl against her opening each time she pushes in, and feeling Root grip her tongue every time she withdraws.  Shaw can’t help leaning her face into it a little and digging her tongue even deeper to make Root quiver.  
  
Shaw slowly withdraws her tongue, letting it teasingly drift up towards Root clit, and then softly fastening her lips around it, drawing it lightly into her mouth and pressing her tongue against it.  Root gasps, “Oh fuck,” as her hips jerk.  “Yes Root?”  Struggling for speech, Root finally asks, “Please…make me come.”  Shaw sucks her gently, tantalizing the sensitive bud, then begins to stroke it softly with her tongue, up and down, side to side, and then in continuous, swirling circles that bring Root slowly to orgasm.  Shaw continues stroking as Root shudders and twitches, coaxing her into the beginnings of a second orgasm.   Shaw strokes a fingertip through her folds, lightly teasing as her tongue traces lazy circles around Root’s clit.   “Please Sam…”  Root struggles to keep her eyes focused on Shaw’s.

Shaw licks at her clit slightly, two fingers dipping into her, and Root bites her lip, whimpering loudly, low and throaty.  Shaw loves the sound and sinks another finger into Root, enticing more of them.  Root gasps, “Yes, don’t stop …”   Root’s hips twist subtly and Shaw draws her fingers out, letting Root watch as she gently sucks them into her mouth, tasting her, and then easing her fingers back inside, probing and teasing at Root’s inner walls, feeling their softness, pressing and wriggling to find the sensitive spots.  Root groans hungrily, finally breaking her gaze to throw her head back, bringing one hand down to grasp Shaw’s hair.   Shaw loves the way Root grips the fingers inside her, lolling her head back and forth on the pillow as she shudders, moaning with each stroke. 

Root’s groans grow louder when Shaw slips a third finger into her, massaging along the inside of her body, twisting and spreading them, then swirling them about, pleasuring her.  “Please don’t stop baby…”  Root knows Shaw’s not particularly into pet names, but at that moment forgets and Shaw purrs at Root’s throaty growls of pleasure.  “God, Sam…”  Root shudders and releases Shaw’s hair, gripping the headboard, opening herself to Shaw.  Shaw runs her free hand over Root’s breasts, her tongue still sliding gently up and down her clit until Root cries out, legs kicking slightly, her body fluttering and gripping the fingers still buried inside her.  Root relaxes with a deep sigh and Shaw slowly slides out of her, bringing herself up so she’s lying on her side next to Root.  Root’s lying on the bed, splayed and breathing fast, her eyes closed, her nakedness glistening with a faint sheen of sweat, her hands still limp against the headboard.

Slowly opening her eyes, Root gives a little laugh.  Shaw raises her eyebrows in question.  “I’m so glad you talked me into it…that was amazing.”  Scowling, Shaw growls, “It didn’t take much.”  Root brings Shaw’s mouth to hers, but when Shaw starts caressing her nipples she pulls away reluctantly.  “We’re out of time.  I need to pick up the laptop.  I’ll call you as soon as I know more.”  They take a quick shower together and Root leaves, focusing on what she needs to do.


	14. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They step towards the elevator laying cover fire in synchronicity. But no matter what’s happening around them, Root and Shaw have their own dynamic and this situation is no exception. “Root, no offense. You're hot; you're good with a gun. Those are two qualities I greatly admire. But you and me together would be like a four-alarm fire in an oil refinery.” But Root has a one track mind. “Sounds cozy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to find a way to reconcile Root and Shaw's conversation in the stock exchange with the world I created for them. I'm not sure I came up with the best way to do it. So if you have any suggestions let me know. I'm always up for a rewrite.

Harold stands outside the stock exchange watching the ticker track the market’s volatility.  Root finds him in the crowd.  “I take it your talk with our rival ASI did not end well.”  Root wonders what the hell Harold thought she meant by the “parties reached an impasse.”  They already knew that would mean war between the Machine and Samaritan.  “You could say that.  Our cold war just turned hot.  Samaritan's taking down the market.”  Master of stating the obvious Harold points out, “Financial ruin will be the least of our worries if it succeeds.  A collapse in our economy would ripple around the globe causing such upheaval.”  Yada, yada, yada.  Root knows.  “Revolts, starvation, war.”  They realize the fail-safes to prevent a market crash aren’t being triggered because Samaritan is creating temporary rebounds.

Root reveals the Machine’s solution.  “The machine suspected this day might come which is why she commissioned a hacker to build this.  The software acts as a counter measure, stabilizing the market in real time…there's a catch.” Harold guesses, “It has to be deployed on site.”  Root nods.  “It won't be easy.  All hands on deck for this one, Harry.”  Harold believes Shaw can’t help them because she needs to stay off the radar.  But Root and Shaw already discussed it and if Root doesn’t give her an assignment, Shaw will just track them down and insist on going into the exchange with them.

“How's it hanging, Sameen?”  At the moment Shaw is hanging out a window trying to prevent a broker from jumping to his death.  Root knows because the Machine told her, hence her use of verbs.  “Oh I've had better days.  So has my broker friend here.  Did you embezzle Twinkies or money, Harvey?” Shaw grunts.  _This guy's heavy._ She traps his tie in the window so she can listen to Root.  “What’s up?”  Root adopts a casual tone.  “Oh, we're headed to the stock exchange to try to save the world economy.”  Shaw’s excited at the thought she might be able to join them after all.  “Oh, that sounds fun.  Is this an invite?”  Root’s made sure to find something useful for Shaw to contribute to the mission, but there’s no way she’s letting her risk her life going with them.  “Not a chance.  The place will be crawling with Samaritan operatives.  And you're number one on their list.  But I do need a favor.  And you need a Metro card.”  As Harold walks ahead of her, Root explains to Shaw and then lowers her voice.

“Hey Sam, you ever think of getting married?”  Shaw almost swallows her tongue.  “In what universe does your mind think the answer to that question would ever be yes, Root?”  Root turns playful.  “Oh, I don’t know, it could be fun, matching rings, growing old together, better mental health…” At the last one Shaw has to interrupt, sputtering with laughter.  “Root, no one has ever accused either one of us of being of sound mind.” Shaw can hear the pout in Root’s voice.  “True, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get married.”   

Shaw knows something’s wrong with this conversation.  “Okay Root, what the hell’s going on?”  Shaw knows Root would never dream of even mentioning marriage to her unless she’s contemplating some end of world scenario and indulging her fantasies.  But Root just sighs.  “Oh sweetie don’t get your shorts in a twist, it was just an idea…gotta go, kiss kiss, talk soon.”  Shaw knows something’s up but she needs to get to the subway; they will definitely be revisiting this conversation later, if only so Root gets the ridiculous idea out of her head.    

Everyone else heads to the stock exchange.  They con their way in and Harold reroutes the camera feeds to give the Machine encrypted access.  “Once the feeds populate She'll have eyes in the building, but Samaritan will be blind.”  They head to the server rooms to deploy the counter measure.  But they need a way to get past the server room’s biometric palm scanner.  “With some luck and a little help from a friend.”  Meanwhile, Shaw’s on the subway when Root checks in.  “You found your mark Shaw?”  Shaw’s not clear what Root needs from her.  “Got eyes on our guy.  How's he gonna help?”  Root explains.  “His company handles all the security for the exchange and we need to get into the server room.” 

“So he’s got a key?”  Sounds simple, Shaw thinks.  “Of sorts.  He has an administrative code that bypasses the biometric palm scanner.”  Shaw moves toward the guy while she talks to Root.  “Well, you could've at least given me a challenge.”  Root smiles.  “If it makes you feel any better, we're gonna need it quick.”  Shaw studies the mark.  “Mr. Quinn's favoring his left knee.  Right amount of pressure, he'll sing.”  But before she can reach Quinn, a passenger reveals he’s strapped to a bomb and intends to blow up the train because his stock broker’s onboard.  “I'm gonna have to get back to you about that code.”  Root’s immediately concerned but there’s not much she can do to help Shaw. 

As the security feeds come online the Machine detects multiple threats heading towards the team’s location and informs Root.  “It's a trap…. Follow me…After 9/11 the exchange was redesigned to go on lockdown in the event of an attack.  To keep combatants out.  Of course what Homeland Security couldn't have predicted is one day Samaritan might use the same system to keep its enemies in.  Run!”  As they take cover in a break room, the Machine begins to evaluate strategies, running and rejecting over 830,000 simulations.  In the seconds it takes the Machine, Root thinks of only one thing, Shaw.  The Machine also lets her see a few of the more encouraging scenarios.

Shaw manages to convince the suicide bomber he’s not alone and he disarms the bomb, allowing Shaw to get to Quinn and the code.  The team enters the server room and Harold succeeds in uploading the software.  The market slowly begins to stabilize.  Shaw heads to the stock exchange.  She knows Root has backup, but she’s not waiting around to see whether they make it out or not.  Root tried to downplay the danger, but Shaw knows now the stock market has been stabilized, the Machine’s primary objective was completed.  But Shaw’s primary objective is Root.  She’s not leaving her in the bowels of the enemy without trying to help. On the way, Shaw calls her.

The team heads to the mechanical room to secure their escape route.  Finch and Root work on restoring power to the elevator while Reese and Fusco prepare to cut the cable controlling the elevator’s mechanical lock.  They’re not sure which cable to cut, so Fusco yells out to Root, “Yo, Banana Nut Crunch, we could use a hand.”  As Root walks over to John and Lionel, the Machine tells her Martine and her operatives are almost at their location.

Root rushes them, but before they make it to the elevator, they’re cut off by Samaritan operatives.  Although they take several of them out, they’re fast running out of ammunition and Martine and Lambert appear.  Lambert shoots at Finch but John jumps in front of him, taking a bullet in the back.  Although not immediately fatal, he's seriously injured.  As they take cover, Root realizes she’s been shot and their chances of survival are going from slim to none fast.  She needs to talk to Shaw. 

“Hey, sweetie.  You busy?”  Shaw sounds a little out of breath.  “A little.  Skip the verbal foreplay, Root.  Why are you calling?”  Even with time running out, Root can’t resist teasing Shaw.  “Can't a couple of gals take a little break from work to catch up?”  Walking up behind them, Shaw tells her, “No, we do not have time to catch up.  Oh, you guys look like crap.”  Root doesn’t want Shaw to realize she’s been shot, so she stays in the doorway.  The Machine immediately increases their chances of survival dramatically.

In over 830,000 simulations, the Machine never predicted Shaw would come for them.  But Root knew.  Root couldn’t be certain Shaw would make it to them or even if she’d be on time to help, but Root knew Shaw wouldn’t stop trying until she found her.  Harold asks Shaw how she made it into the exchange.  “Had to crawl through 50 yards of air duct.  We won't make it that way.  Don't worry.  I got a little gift from our friend in the bomb vest.  I'll take it from here.”

Shaw tosses a pack of explosives into the air and shoots them mid-flight.  The explosion pushes the Samaritan operatives back, creating a smoke screen giving them cover; Fusco and Finch help John to the elevator.  Shaw immediately steps out into the doorway; Root molds herself to Shaw’s body and seamlessly they begin firing.  “We're so good at this together.  You're gonna realize that someday.”  Shaw rolls her eyes, but she’s too busy shooting to scowl.  Shaw knows Root’s back to talking about marriage.  They already sleep together and live together, there’s not much else Root could be talking about, although Shaw has no idea why, in the midst of fighting for their lives, marriage is the thought that occupies Root’s mind.

They step towards the elevator laying cover fire in synchronicity.  But no matter what’s happening around them, Root and Shaw have their own dynamic and this situation is no exception.  “Root, no offense.  You're hot; you're good with a gun. Those are two qualities I greatly admire.  But you and me together would be like a four-alarm fire in an oil refinery.” But Root has a one track mind.  “Sounds cozy.”  But as they dart into the elevator Root realizes, “I'm out of ammo, Shaw.”

Panicked, Harold tells them, “Need to go.  Might not get a second chance.”  Adrenaline coursing through her body and with a smile on her face, Shaw responds, “Second chances are overrated, Harold.”  Suddenly they realize the elevator controls are not responding.  Looking around Shaw spots an override button by a desk. “The desk.  There's an override button.  Someone's gotta get to that button and hold them off.”  Instantly she knows she’s going to be the one to stay behind.  There’s no way she’s letting Root die, John’s out of commission, and Fusco’s only slightly less useless than Finch. 

Just as quickly, Root realizes what Shaw intends.  Root grabs her by the arm pulling her back, “Sameen, if you even think I'm gonna let you…”  But Shaw doesn’t let her finish, yanking herself out of Root’s grip she turns around to look at her.   “Oh for God’s sake…”  But locking gazes with Root, Shaw realizes death’s the only likely outcome for her.  If she’s going to die, she’s going to leave Root remembering what they feel like when they come together.  Not caring who’s watching, Shaw reaches up and grabs Root’s jacket, capturing Root’s mouth desperately with her own, pouring everything she doesn’t have time to say into their last seconds together.  Anguish written plainly across her face, she pushes Root into Fusco, who holds Root tightly to him, preventing her from going after Shaw.

Shaw quickly lowers the elevator grate, locking it closed with her foot.  As Shaw runs for the override button, Root throws herself at the gate, her fingers gripping the metal, agony clutching her body.   Screaming, pain ripping her apart, Root refuses to look away.  She sees Sameen take Martine’s first bullet, then the second.  As Shaw falls to the ground, Martine stands over her, a gun pointed at her head.  Root collapses to her knees crying out for Sam, reaching for her even as Fusco and Harold hold onto her, the Machine spewing the dwindling odds of Shaw’s survival in Root’s ear.  The last thing either of them sees are each other’s eyes and the love blazing there.

Root can’t stop screaming and it feels like her soul is being ripped from her body.  When the elevator reaches the top, Harold and Fusco struggle towards the exit with Reese between them.  Root immediately turns to Fusco.  “Give me your gun.”  Not knowing what to say or do, Fusco looks at Harold.  “Ms. Groves, Ms. Shaw would not want you risking your…”  Root cuts him off, with deadly calm, she tells him, “I am not leaving her.”  Empathy clear in his eyes, Harold continues, “Ms. Shaw… Sameen… gave her life to save us and the mission, turning back into certain death would diminish that sacrifice.”  Feeling time slipping away, Root pushes Fusco up against the wall and takes his gun.

Standing by watching this scene unfold, Reese knows nothing Harold says will stop Root.  It would never have stopped Reese from going back for Carter, shot or not, armed or not, so he understands.  But Reese’s job is to keep the team safe and, unlikely as it once would’ve seemed, Root is part of the team.  So he does the only thing he can, he slams the butt of his gun into the back of Root’s head, knocking her unconscious.

The effort brings Reese to his knees as he’s losing a lot of blood.  Fusco places his shoulder under Reese’s arm helping him walk, while Finch does his best to semi-drag, semi-carry Root to their getaway car.  They drop Reese at one of Finch’s clandestine clinics, while Fusco and Harold get Root back to the subway.  Laying her down on the cot, Harold gazes down at her.  Fusco comes up behind him, “Nutella’s going to flip when she comes to and I can’t say I blame her.”  Looking up slightly, Harold sighs.  “Ms. Groves may never forgive us, but it was the only way to stop her from sacrificing her life.”  Fusco looks at him pensively.  “No offense Glasses, but maybe that was her choice to make.” 


	15. Control-Alt-Delete

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You left her there! You didn’t let me go back for her!” Root screams at him. Calming down, she looks at him completely indifferently and assures him, “I will never forgive you… or Her…for this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Shaw's missing, but Root's memories remind us what they share will transcend all.

Knowing she needs to rest, Harold keeps Root on mild sedatives for two days.  As Root groggily wakes, it takes her a second before she remembers.  “Shaw!”  Harold hears her scream and rushes over, looking at her sympathetically.  “You left her there! You didn’t let me go back for her!” Root screams at him.  Calming down, she looks at him completely indifferently and assures him, “I will never forgive you… or Her…for this.”  Root holds on the fact the Machine never projected Shaw's death with 100% certainty.  She doesn't care how dismal the odds may be.  She's going after Sameen.

Before Harold can respond, Reese comes over to Root.  “I’m the one knocked you out.  Don’t blame Finch.” Root just shoots bloody daggers at both of them, already scheming how she’s going to look for Shaw.  John looks at her stoically.  “Shaw’s body wasn’t found in the exchange.  Lionel checked the morgue.”  Hope springing to her eyes, Root reaches out to the Machine.  “Is she alive?  Where is she?”  The Machine remains silent.  Root looks up at John.  “We have to find her.  If there was no body, that means she’s alive.”  Not commenting directly on her belief, John tells her, “I think we should start at the exchange.  Their surveillance cameras have to have recorded what happened.”

Breaking into the security firm that houses the surveillance footage from the exchange, John and Root steal the surveillance hard drives.  They systematically hunt down the four security contractors from the exchange seeking information on Shaw. Leaving a trail of carnage behind them and locating one of the SUVs used by Samaritan operatives at the exchange, they steal its transponder, hoping it will give them Shaw’s location.  They methodically continue their search for any clue which might lead them to Shaw.

As Root shoots one of the security men in the gut, John slowly turns his head to look at her.  “We can’t interrogate a dead man.”  Root's not concerned.  “He’s not dead yet.”  John reminds her, “You’re not an assassin anymore Root.”  Incredulous, Root stares at him.  “Don’t be a hypocrite John.  How many men did you kill when Carter died?  Don’t you dare tell me any of these people are worth a fraction of Sameen’s life.  I’ll kill a hundred more if it gets me what I want.  I will find her.”  Knowing better than to push Root on anything Shaw, and knowing she’s right about his crusade after Carter was murdered, John turns back to their latest capture.  “I would tell the lady what she wants to know if you want to live to see tomorrow.”  Root doesn’t kill the contractors; but when she’s done, they’re all critically injured and in desperate need of life saving measures.

Frustrated with their lack of progress, Root and John decide to go after their only direct link to Samaritan, Control.  Root and Reese take control’s regular detail out of the game by t-boning their vehicle with a Mack truck.  The GPS transponder reveals the same SUV that guards Control was at the stock exchange the day of the crash.  Tracking Control down, they take out her convoy with a rocket.  Approaching Control as she crawls out of her SUV, Root and Reese remove their masks.  Root looks frankly at Control, “I hope you liked our rocket.  We were saving it for a special occasion.”  They kidnap Control.

Turning the tables, Root has Control zip-tied to a chair in a cage.  John comes in and questions Control about Shaw’s whereabouts, but Control pleads ignorance.  Getting nowhere, John lets Root take over the interrogation.  Root's ecstatic she’s going to be able to play with Control.  “I'm almost glad you said that.”  When they begin their conversation, Control looks smugly at Root.  However, when Root takes out her taser, Control can’t help but show the fear that grips her body.  Root walks around the cage slowly.  “Shaw used to work for you till you tried to kill her.  You probably remember she has an Axis ll personality disorder, which means technically she's a sociopath.  Incapable of caring for others.  But the thing about Shaw is she does care.  Enough to save my life.  So today I'm saving hers.”

What Root doesn’t say is that although Shaw saved all their lives, she would never have gone to the stock exchange for anyone except Root.  After Shaw provided the code to bypass the biometric scanner, she opened a private line to Root’s comm.  “Root.  What’s going on?  Do you need my help?”  Although Root told her everything was under control, it was clear Shaw didn't believe her.  So Root tried to deflect, “Why Sameen, I’m so flattered you care.  But the Machine will get us through this and I’ll see you back at the subway.  Remember we’re at least trying to pretend you’re avoiding Samaritan operatives now that your cover’s blown.”  Listening to what wasn’t being said, Shaw growled, “Cut the shit Root.  What’s going on?  I can hear it in your voice, something’s not right.” 

Both their breaths audible through the link, they each waited for the other to speak first.  Taking a deep breath, Root rallied, “Don’t worry sweetie, I’ll see you soon.”  Shaw was not fooled in the slightest.  “Don’t you dare cut me off Root.  Whatever harebrained scheme you’re running, do not get yourself killed before I get there.”  Trying to come up with a way to keep Shaw away, Root scrambled for something to say, “Sameen, please…”  Cutting her off, Shaw bit out every world slowly.  “I…am…coming…for…you.”  Thinking Shaw has cut the feed, Root almost doesn't hear her last whisper. “Stay safe.”

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Root turns to Control and uses a taser to fire 50,000 volts of electricity directly to her heart.  Although Root thought she’d feel some type of relief at torturing Control, all she feels is anger.  Anger and desperation to find Shaw, feeling they’re running out of time.  Tired of talking, remembering how Shaw hates conversation, Root again tases Control with another 50,000 volts directly to her carotid artery.  As Control shudders, sweating and shaking, Root stares unemotionally. Before Root can tase Control again, she hears Harold yell, “Stop it!”

Barely reigning in her desire to kill Control, Root backs away from her.  “This is not how we do things, Miss Groves.”  Hardly disguising her look of disgust, Root hands Harold her taser and walks out.  During the exchange between Root and Finch, Control hits the locator button on her watch.  While Root and John stand by, Harold speaks with Control.  Finally figuring it out, Control laughs at Harold, “You think she's dead. You think Shaw is dead. And you don't have the guts to tell them.”

Guiltily glancing towards Root and John, Harold waits for a reaction.  As stoic as ever, John tells him, “We don't know that, Finch.  The surveillance footage from the stock exchange was unreadable.”  Not only is that true, but John knows Root is hanging on to her sanity by a thread.  If she loses all hope, without ever learning what happened to Shaw, the world won’t be safe from her rage.  Already John sees the maniacal look in her eyes as they continue to search for Shaw with no results.

Finally losing his patience, Finch tells Control, “You foolish woman.  You don't understand. You're not in control of anything.  You're just a cleanup crew. You're the janitor.”  Hearing her agents arriving, Control smugly points out to Harold her team has arrived.  Harold turns to her with a puzzled look on his face, “You say that like we weren’t expecting them.”  Startled, Control realizes she’s underestimated them.  John sneaks up on one of Control’s agents, Grice, punching and disarming him, while Root deals with Grice’s partners.  A gun battle ensues and Grice gets the jump on John.  Harold continues to speak with Control, trying to explain the full dimensions of Samaritan’s powers.  John finally overpowers Grice but lets him go when he realizes he’s the operative that let Shaw escape with the virus.

Harold walks outside, finding Fusco.  Finch knew Samaritan would have someone embedded with Control and he had a plan for tracking Shaw.  Fusco and Finch find a surveillance van and Fusco ambushes the operative.  Finch uploads a virus into a Samaritan phone signal, which spreads throughout Samaritan’s network looking for information on Shaw.  They intercept some data, but Harold needs to decode it.  John and Root fight their way out.  Looking at him without scorn for the first time since Shaw was taken, Root expresses her gratitude, “Thank you Harold.”   At the subway, Harold decodes the information.  It shows a phone on Samaritan’s network left the stock exchange in a refrigerated truck fifteen minutes after they lost Shaw.  The last GPS coordinates available show the truck at a small town upstate. 

When Harold tells Root, he cautions the truck may be unrelated to Shaw’s whereabouts.  Fighting back tears while driving with John towards the truck’s last known location, Root tells him, “I know she’s alive, Harold.”  While John gazes at her from the passenger seat, it’s unclear who Root is trying to convince.

As she drives, Root can’t help but let her thoughts turn to Shaw. 

 

* * *

 

 

Before Samaritan came online, there was a day where Root and Shaw had some free time for a change. While Root spent her time coding, Shaw worked out, running sprints up and down the station.  When she was done, Shaw sat down in the subway car and caught her breath, rivulets of sweat streaming down her body.  Out of the corner of her eye, Root admired Shaw’s glistening skin, the rise and fall of her chest, and the small self-satisfied smile playing across her mouth.  Root knows if she teases Shaw overtly, she'll just raise her defenses and scowl, and Root will lose the opportunity to admire her.  So she looks surreptitiously, letting herself imagine what she’d love to be doing with Shaw’s body.

Shaw knows Root is watching since she can see her reflection in the subway car’s window.  As long as Root doesn't make a big deal about it, Shaw doesn't mind Root looking at her with that half adoring half predatory gleam in her eye.  It does things to Shaw’s body she finds pleasing.  She'll take that knowledge to the grave though; no way she'll ever let Root know how much her gaze turns her on.

Sighing, Shaw decides to head to her loft to shower and change.  As she grabs her duffle bag, she hears Root calling out, “Hey sweetie, where’re you headed?”  Debating whether to just ignore her, Shaw instead groans asking her, “Why?  You taking a census?”  Grinning, knowing she has Shaw’s attention, Root gets up and walks over to her.  Slowly running her hand along Shaw’s shoulder blades, lowering her head to whisper in Shaw’s ear, she tells her “The only body I’m counting is yours…”  Rolling her eyes, Shaw knows she can only blame herself for making it so easy for Root.  Knowing she’s won this round, Root lets her off the hook.  “Come on sweetie, you must be hungry after all that exertion.  I’ll buy you a steak to replenish your reserves.”  But before Shaw even responds Root looks at her slyly.  “You never know when you might need to exert yourself again.”  _It’s only for the free steak_ , but Shaw lets Root lead her out of the subway.

As they exit the subway, Shaw turns in the direction of her place.  Root calls after her, “Hey, Minetta’s this way.”  Not turning around, Shaw tells her, “I’m sweaty.  I need to shower and change.”  Delighted at the thought of a naked Shaw, but not saying a word, Root turns to follow her.  Realizing she’s just invited Root to her place, Shaw shakes her head asking how it is Root seems to get her, without even trying, to do things that are clearly a bad idea.   Once inside the loft, Shaw glares at Root.  “Stay here and do not touch anything.”  Root nods her head yes, an innocent smile on her face.  Scoffing internally, Shaw knows Root doesn’t have an innocent bone in her body.

As she heads into the shower, Shaw debates whether to lock the bathroom door.  Then she remembers there isn’t a lock Root can’t pick; especially if she wants what’s on the other side badly enough.  She turns on the water and waits for it to turn scalding.  With the steam billowing in the air and fogging the mirror, Shaw strips and gets under the shower.  Reveling in the hot stream massaging sore muscles, she thinks about Root sitting in her living room.

Lately it’s been easier for Shaw to admit, if only in her own head, she feels drawn to Root in a way she’s never experienced before.  Most of the time she doesn’t even realize she’s letting Root into her personal space, sharing her food, maintaining physical contact.  The other day she was sitting at the desk in the subway cleaning her gun, while Root was coding on her laptop next to her.  Shaw’s gaze drifted downward and she realized their feet were intertwined.  Not wanting to draw attention to it and get Root started on a round of teasing, she said nothing and left her feet where they were.  And maybe she liked it a little.

Lust, her physical attraction to Root, was never hard for Shaw to admit.  But these other feelings Root stirs within her, she doesn't know what to do with those.  Before she can give it another thought, she feels hands coming to rest gently on her hips.  Case in point, how did Root get into the shower and behind her before she even realizes it?  “Root.  What are you doing?”  Loving the way Shaw always enunciates her name, Root smiles.  “Well sweetie, I thought that’d be quite obvious.”  Lifting Root’s hands away from her hips, holding them roughly, but not painfully, she has trouble seeing Root’s eyes through the steam.  As she holds Root’s wrists, she considers her next move.

Meanwhile, Root is standing still, not fighting Shaw’s grip, trying to wait patiently for Shaw to come to her.  When it seems that might be awhile, she slowly draws Shaw into her body.  As she feels the heat of her skin, Root hisses involuntarily.  “Why do you fight this so much?  You know you want me as much as I want you.”  Shaw looks at her calmly.  “I don't have any feelings Root.”  Root knows it's bullshit but if she pushes, Shaw will just shut down.  So instead she runs her hands along Shaw’s back, bringing them to rest on her hips.  As Root watches her eyes, she sees a look of longing that takes her breath away.  She bends down and captures Shaw's lips with her own.  What starts out slow turns fast, turns desperate, and yearning, and wild, and unpredictable.  Which Root knows pretty much describes them to a T.

Giving in to what they both know she wants, Shaw pushes Root up against the shower wall.  The tile on Root’s back feels cool as rain in autumn while the water burns hot like a flame.  Shaw holds her with one hand on the nape of her neck, leaning their heads together, and slowly begins to run her fingers over Root’s nipples, squeezing and rubbing, eliciting small involuntary gasps from Root’s lips.  Root wraps her hands around her back pulling her in closer.  “Please Sameen…” Without asking, Shaw knows what Root wants.  No warning given, she plunges into Root like she’s an oasis in the desert.  Panting, Root pushes against Shaw’s hand, wanting more, setting a rhythm with her body.  Shaw increases the number of fingers gliding in and out of Root, curling them slightly to reach the spot that will push Root over the edge.  As she pumps in and out of her, Shaw's center finds Root’s thigh and begins its own rhythm against Root’s body. 

Time blurs and Root becomes nothing but sensations, Shaw on her skin, Shaw inside her, Shaw’s lips tugging on hers, nipping, licking, sucking.  Shaw everywhere until there’s nothing but Root's intense desire taking her breath away.  Shaw rides out her own climax shortly after Root’s, by which time the water has turned cold and they both have goose bumps all over their bodies.  As they walk out of the bathroom, Shaw tugs Root onto her bed and pulls her on top.  She wants to feel Root’s mouth all over her body, wants to hear her heart beat, feel her breath catch; see the emotions play across her face.  Looking down at her, Root gives Shaw that predatory look that says Shaw’s hers and she’s going to mark her territory.  Biting down on her right earlobe enough to draw blood, Root growls into Shaw’s ear.  “Mine.”  She bites and licks her way down Shaw’s neck until she makes her way to her nipples, sucking and tugging, blowing her breath across them, sending thrilling sensations racing down to Shaw’s center until Shaw can barely breathe, her body taut with need.   She wants to stop and remind Root she doesn't belong to anyone, especially her, but her body betrays her.

Root wants to make this last, so she teases Shaw, running her tongue from her nipples down to her midriff and back again.  “Root.”  The intensity in Root’s eyes searing her skin, she pants, “I want your tongue inside me.”  Root inches her way down to Shaw’s thighs, slowly licking until she reaches her center.   Teasing Shaw’s entrance Root inhales her scent.  It’s intoxicating, this smell that’s totally Shaw.  Root can’t get enough.  Tentatively licking up and down Shaw’s folds, Root savors every taste.  As she unhurriedly slithers her tongue inside, she feels Shaw shudder beneath her.  Root alternates licking and penetrating Shaw with her tongue, holding Shaw’s hands tight with her own.  While Shaw writhes with pleasure, Root finds her own excitement building yet again. 

Without losing contact, Root shifts her position so Shaw’s mouth is pressed against Root’s own center.  Greedily seeking Root out, Shaw begins her own assault, sucking on Root’s clit while penetrating her yet again.  Root finds it hard to concentrate, her own pleasure or Shaw’s?   Increasing the pace, neither one giving an inch, they drive each other to the peak.  As Shaw’s insides clench against Root’s tongue, Root arches her back in ecstasy.  Slowly bringing each other down, they end up panting against each other. 

Shaw drags herself up Root's body.  As Root gently runs her fingers through Shaw's hair, Shaw snuggles into her neck.  Not wanting to disturb the moment, Root doesn’t say a word.  Eventually their breathing evens out and Shaw looks into Root’s eyes.  Completely unguarded Shaw sees the pain, the hope, the essence of all that is Root.  She reaches over and brushes Root’s hair out of her eyes. “You know,” Shaw begins hesitatingly, “I can’t say what you want to hear.”  Closing her eyes, Root just shakes her head yes.  “But I can tell you this,” Shaw continues, “You really turn me on.  For whatever that’s worth.”


	16. Maple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There's a cat trapped in a box with something lethal. There's a 50% chance the cat's been killed, but until you open the box, there's no way to know one way or the other. Quantum physics says before you open the box, the cat isn't dead or alive. It's both.” Asking the obvious, John wants to know, “What about after you open the box?” Somewhat resigned, but far from discouraged, Root answers him, “Reality collapses back onto itself. Cat's either alive, or it's dead.”
> 
> “Well, we're gonna see reality soon. But you don't bet against Shaw.” Root looks at him and without hesitation responds, “No. Nothing kills that cat.” The conversation with John makes Root briefly consider the possibility Shaw’s dead. Of course it’s possible. In a quantum world, a particle does not just have to take one path at a time; it can take all of them simultaneously. So if we’re surrounded by an infinite number of parallel universes that, on some level, we are experiencing in their totality, then there’s a universe out there in which Shaw’s dead. But Root’s damned if it’s going to be this one. If Shaw’s gone, the term scorched earth will prove to be a euphemism for what Root will rain down on everyone responsible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Shaw's still missing, but Root remembers their time in Coney Island.

Arriving upstate in Maple, NY, Root and Reese ask Harold for guidance.  Frazzled, Root tells them, “We're late.  66 hours.  A rescue's overdue.  Sameen's gonna kill us.”  Grasping the irony, Harold responds, “Well, she can't fault us for lack of effort. You've caused mayhem over five states. And we only have one clue to show for it.”  John knows Finch is implying there's not much hope.  “One clue is plenty. It narrows focus.”  Worried Root is not prepared for the worst, Harold tries to keep her grounded, reminding her Shaw may not be in the truck.  But she's undaunted.  “We find the truck, we find Sameen. Don't give up on her, Harold.”  Root’s starting to get really annoyed at his constant cynicism.

As Harold searches for information on the town, he reminds Root and Reese Samaritan may be watching and listening.  He cautions them to exercise discretion and tread carefully.  Root’s undercover as John’s new partner, Detective Alice Ginsburg.  Walking around small town Americana, Reese begins to doubt they’re in the right place.  “Unless Samaritan likes hot chocolate and cider, we might've taken a wrong turn.”  Root refuses to even consider it.  “We haven’t.”

The town is celebrating Founder’s Day, marking 212 years of their history.  During the speeches the town is referred to as “the biggest little manufacturing hub in upstate.”  Hearing it, Root quips, “Town could use a better tagline.”  As they walk around, John suggests Root ask the Machine for a clue.  Of course, Root already has, but to no avail.  Keeping her focus on finding Shaw, Root doesn’t take the time to consider the implications of the Machine’s ignorance or its deliberate silence.  John continues to question why Samaritan would bring Shaw out to Pleasantville.  Speaking from experience, Root reminds him, “Don't judge a town by its cider. Monsters love small towns.”  They decide to head to the police department to examine security footage from the tollbooth leading into town. 

Responding to the police chief’s questions, Root and Reese explain they’re investigating a murder in Brooklyn, NY and the suspect fled to Maple in a refrigerated truck.  Root turns on the charm and the smarmy police chief “call me Wick” agrees to show her the footage.  Once in his office, Wick immediately begins to hit on Root.  As she reviews the footage on his computer, Root tries to ignore him, even when he mimics gun cocking with a part of his anatomy she really doesn’t want to think about.  _The things I do for you Sameen._ Still out front with a deputy, John observes the gun locker.  Sending the deputy on a wild goose chase, John raids it.

Root finds a corrupted file on Wick’s computer and asks for access to the hard backups.  Wick agrees, but only if Root will have drinks with him.  Trying to maintain her charm, Root offers vague reassurance.  However, once Wick pulls Root to him in an unsolicited and unwanted embrace and grabs her ass, Root draws the line. _Seems it's always the hard way, even when I try to be nice._ Hearing a grunt and a thud, Reese rushes into the chief’s office thinking Root might need help.  Instead he finds the chief unconscious on the floor while Root searches the backups for the corrupted file.  John's impressed.  “I never thought I'd say this... but you got to be more careful.”  Root finds the missing footage and realizes the truck entered Maple and never left.  She turns the monitor towards John.  “Shaw's still here in town.”  Not wanting him to see the desperation and anxiety on her face, Root turns back to the computer whispering, “Hold on, Shaw. We're close.” Her tone indistinguishable from a prayer.

Shoving Wick into an empty travel duffle bag Root never leaves home without, Root and John check into the local bed and breakfast.  “You elevate abduction to an art.”  Letting her tell-tale grin appear briefly, Root informs him, “Always travel with an empty suitcase. Never know what you might pick up.”  John points out now they’re on borrowed time; once someone notices the chief’s missing, they’ll come looking for them.  Root looks at him with anguish.  “We're already on a clock. The longer it takes us to find Sameen…” But she can’t finish the sentence because if she goes down that rabbit hole now, she’ll never climb out.  So switching tracks, she says, “Our rival hid the truck footage. Maybe they're hiding something else.”

Once they have Wick upstairs, Root questions him about the corrupted footage.  He admits footage gets corrupted from time to time but has no idea if there’s a pattern.  Luckily, Harold finds the truck and gives Reese and Root the location.  It’s been impounded.  Root sedates Wick and they head out to find the truck.  While driving to the impound lot, Root notices John’s distracted.  She asks him to focus and reminds him they’re running out of time.  John looks at Root and realizes for the first time, “You really are sure she’s alive.”  Root sighs and explains about Schrodinger's cat.  “There's a cat trapped in a box with something lethal. There's a 50% chance the cat's been killed, but until you open the box, there's no way to know one way or the other. Quantum physics says before you open the box, the cat isn't dead or alive. It's both.”  Asking the obvious, John wants to know, “What about after you open the box?”  Somewhat resigned, but far from discouraged, Root answers him, “Reality collapses back onto itself. Cat's either alive, or it's dead.”

Actually listening to Root for once, John realizes her connection to Shaw exists as something beyond simple attraction, the whole greater than the sum of its parts, their belief in each other impervious to the vagaries of a chaotic universe.  “Well, we're gonna see reality soon. But you don't bet against Shaw.”  Root looks at him and without hesitation responds, “No.  Nothing kills that cat.”  The conversation with John makes Root briefly consider the possibility Shaw’s dead.  Of course it’s possible.  In a quantum world, a particle does not just have to take one path at a time; it can take all of them simultaneously.  So if we’re surrounded by an infinite number of parallel universes that, on some level, we are experiencing in their totality, then there’s a universe out there in which Shaw’s dead.  But Root’s damned if it’s going to be this one.  If Shaw’s gone, the term scorched earth will prove to be a euphemism for what Root will rain down on everyone responsible.

Root and John arrive at the impound lot and are let in without questions.  John marvels the attendant reeks of tequila at three in the afternoon.  With a smile that doesn’t come close to reaching her eyes, Root comments, “Looks like Founders' Day is the new Cinco de Mayo.”  Curious, Harold researches the attendant’s background.  He’s a deadbeat trust funder who lost all his money.  As they wander the impound lot, Root and John hear the news on TV announcing a homeless man just hit the jackpot.

Root and John find the truck.  Drawing their weapons, they prepare for anything.  As John slides the back door open, Root stares.  The truck is empty, but contains a medical drill and saw, along with a lot of blood.  Harold immediately accepts the notion Shaw is dead.  But Root remains adamant.  “It's not over yet. We'll find her.”  John also believes the truck went to Maple for a reason and it wasn’t to dispose of a dead Shaw.  They could have left her body at the stock exchange or anywhere in the city for that matter.  Harold wonders why try to save Shaw after they shot her.  Coming closer to the truth than she knows, Root reaches for an answer, “Our enemy has strange methods. It found a use for her.”  Harold searches the database to see if any local hospitals admitted anyone with Shaw’s injuries but finds nothing.  Root asks him to look for a neurosurgeon and Harold sends them the information. 

He then asks for a blood sample to verify whether it’s Shaw’s blood before “heads roll.”  But Root has no intention of letting anyone who hurt Sameen off that easily.  “Heads won't roll yet. The people who hurt her deserve special attention.” 

Bursting into the neurosurgeon’s home, Root interrogates him at gunpoint.  His name is Victor Haskell and he denies having operated on anyone, but says he got a call the night they’re asking about from someone performing a craniotomy.  The procedure wasn’t going well, but the number was blocked and he had no idea who was calling or where the call originated.  Root believes him because he's under house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor. 

Haskell then explains the strange turn Maple has taken over the last six months.  The main employer was a textile company, but operations were moving overseas and 80% of the town was facing unemployment.  Then a company, Carrow, took over the mill converting it to manufacture some type of tech; Haskell thinks its transponders.   Carrow saved the town, but then things got weird.  Anyone asking too many questions about the factory was either killed, framed, or saw their life circumstances drastically diminished.  The new mayor was previously a gas station attendant.  Haskell tells them Leslie Thompson runs the factory, but warns they’ll be killed if they go investigate.  It’s obvious Samaritan’s behind the changes in Maple.

Root and John immediately set out to find Thompson and uncover Samaritan’s latest scheme.  As they search the town, they see the impound lot attendant being arrested after he shot the formerly homeless now rich lottery winner.  Beyond whatever use the factory may serve manufacturing tech in the middle of nowhere, its obvious Samaritan's using Maple as some sort of Petri dish for social experimentation. 

John and Root kidnap Thompson.  Her phone reveals nothing, but Root knows she can rely on her “people skills” to extract any useful information Thompson may possess.  Harold believes at the very least Thompson can tell them what Samaritan’s manufacturing and how it’s manipulating the town so they can prevent other people from suffering the same fate as those in Maple.  Not sure how often she’s going to have to remind him, Root emphasizes “Right now, I only care about one person, Harold.”

Reese convinces Root to let him question Thompson first.  Root gives him ten minutes, but can’t help but interrupt.  When Thompson claims not to know Sameen, Root tries to refresh her recollection, “You know… little firecracker, brown hair,” while maintaining a menacing glare, leaning on the wall just beyond John’s chair.  But not even John’s intimidation tactics succeed in obtaining any useful information about Shaw.  It’s obvious Thompson a stooge.  Her real name is Maryann Holst, a former CVS employee who woke up in Maple after a heart attack and was told she was being given a new life.  So long as she does what she is told without question, she gets to live a nice life; otherwise she dies.

Harold becomes increasingly concerned with Thompson’s safety, fearing Root will torture and kill her even if Thompson’s involvement is only tangential.  Harold opens a private line to John’s comm imploring John not let Root interrogate Thompson.  But even John’s patience has been exhausted by Harold’s concern for everyone except Shaw.  “Even if she was just obeying orders, she's responsible.  Our friend is gone...Thompson is hiding something.  And if I can't get it out of her, she can.”  Not being stupid, Root interrupts their argument, “My ears are burning. Do I get to come out and play?”

Realizing John and Root present a unified front, willing and able to use any means necessary to obtain the information they seek from Thompson, Harold begs them to let him try persuading her to talk first.  As John and Root stand side by side, glaring at Thompson, Harold speaks to her via speaker.  Her responses confirm what John and Root already suspected; Samaritan has turned Maple into a Petri dish for social experimentation.  Harold believes Thompson does not have any information about Shaw.

Root, however, will not be deterred telling Harold, “That's not good enough. She's our only lead.”  Harold insists Thompson doesn’t know anything.  To which Root’s only reply is, “I haven't asked her yet,” as she picks up the medical drill and approaches Thompson menacingly.  Turning on the drill, its buzz loud in her ear, Root turns to Thompson, “Your people used this on our friend.  Where is she?”  By now hysterical, Harold yells at Reese, “John, you have to stop her. Thompson is a puppet.”  Unyielding, John calmly leans against the wall and looks at Thompson. “Thompson's lying. She knows something.”  As John lets Root continue the interrogation, Harold yells, “We are not beasts.”

The look of rage on Root’s face would have curdled Harold’s blood if he could see.  Maniacally approaching Thompson with the drill buzzing, Root casually says, “A little beastliness is just the thing now and then.”  Having no intention of stopping Root, John watches stoically, more than willing to let Root torture Thompson for information on Shaw.  With the drill centimeters from her head, Thompson screams and breaks. “I saw her. I saw the brunette woman. Please don't do this.”  As Root turns off the drill, Thompson can’t talk fast enough.  “They were taking her into the factory. I can help you. I can help you get inside. I'm sorry that I lied. I had to. They'll kill me.” 

As Root looks at Thompson, it’s obvious she hates the person she’s become, even if only temporarily; a monster only necessary because Thompson deceives and destroys other people’s lives to save her own.  Root worked so hard to leave that person behind.  But for Sameen, she’ll be anyone she has to be and cross any line she needs to cross.  Root looks at Thompson with disgust.  “Thank you for telling us. Honesty is always the best policy.”  If Thompson knew Root, she would know the lilt in her tone was not a good sign.  But she doesn’t, so she has no clue what’s coming her way.  Without further ado, Root proceeds to drill a hole in Thompson’s hand as she screams and Harold yells.   In no hurry, John leans forward and lightly touches Root’s hand, stopping the drilling.  But he immediately backs up, letting Root continue the questioning.  Root holds the loudly buzzing drill in her hand once more and leans into Thompson’s face, “Final question. You lie, this goes in your skull. When you saw our friend... was she alive?”  Thompson gasps, nodding her head, “Yes.”  Satisfied, Root stands up and turns off the drill.

As she attempts to calm herself, Root looks at John.  He has no idea the loyalty he earned by demonstrating he’d go beyond any limit to help her find Shaw.   Root can’t express it verbally, the reality so immense it can’t be reduced to words, but just like the day he found Hanna, she will forever be in John’s debt.  Looking at her solemnly, John lowers his head slightly, and then leads Thompson out the door.

Root drives Thompson and Reese to the factory, where Thompson talks them past security.  Root’s death threat while smiling sweetly was probably unnecessary, but Root wants to make sure everyone is having fun.  While Root hacks the security system, John opens one of the many boxes sitting on conveyor belts on the factory floor.  The boxes contain microdots.  She knows they’re most likely invisible GPS trackers.  Samaritan will have constant location data on everything with a microdot.

Thompson leads them to the top secret area, but she doesn't have access.  Root and Reese mask up and as they head over Reese advises Thompson to duck when the shooting starts.  Root blows the steel doors and gives the guards a chance to run.  When they don’t start running fast enough, Root and John shoot their way inside and eliminate all resistance.  As they search, Root discovers the factory’s real project.  She finds neural implants normally used to prevent seizures in people with epilepsy or brain damage.  The implants have transponders attached, allowing them to relay information to Samaritan.  Root realizes Samaritan wants to study humans at the electrochemical level.  Her voice breaking she tells John, “They're gonna stick one of these in Shaw.”  Calling humans Samaritan’s pets, Root despairs, until John reminds her pets don’t carry guns.

Coming across a doctor, John doesn’t hesitate to shoot him in the knee.  Root approaches a hospital bed, a woman handcuffed to it, lying with her back towards Root.  As she senses Root approach, the woman turns over and Root realizes the woman is a brunette, but it’s not Sameen.  Just as the implications of that fact are dawning on Root, Harold comes on the comm telling them the blood in the truck they found was not Sameen’s.  Panic verging on hysteria, Root questions the woman, whose name turns out to be Delia Jones. Its clear Jones is the woman from the truck.  They've been tracking her, not Shaw.  Root turns back to the doctor on the floor, grabs him by the hair, and points her gun in his face.  The doctor tells them no other patients have been brought to him.  Jones was a secretary at the stock exchange.  Samaritan killed all the witnesses but brought Jones to Maple to test the neural implant.

When John turns around, Root’s gone.  He hears distant shooting and knows Root’s found Samaritan’s reinforcements.  As John starts to take Jones with him, Thompson tells him she’s staying behind and quitting her job.  If she expects a pat on the back, she's sorely mistaken.  John responds with sarcasm.  “Well, good luck.”  But he decides that's not enough.  “When they track you down, remember this: By taking orders without question, you've destroyed this town. You deserve what's coming to you.”   John lowers his mask, picks up Jones, and heads towards the shooting where he knows he’ll find Root.  Following in her wake, John realizes Root hasn’t been taking too much care to ensure she only kneecaps Samaritan’s operatives.  He can’t say he’s much bothered by it.  They deserve what comes to them too.

As John approaches a door, he hears an explosion and hurries towards it calling for Root.  An operative opens the door and aims at John.  Carrying Jones, John can’t defend himself, so he turns his back to the gunman trying to shield her.  John hears a shot and then realizes it didn’t hit him.  As he turns back around, Root enters from the side lowering her weapon.  Taking it in stride, John tells her, “Good timing,” to which Root’s only response is “Let’s get out of here.” 

Having no other operatives in the area, Samaritan loses track of Root and John.  Harold and Reese get Jones to a doctor at a safe house and Harold prepares an identity for when she’s ready to leave.  Samaritan pulls out of Maple, leaving the people to fend for themselves again.  Harold laments he sent Root and Reese down a false trail.  John understands they still served a greater purpose and believes Shaw would understand, even if Root doesn’t.

Harold approaches Root on a street corner as she stares up into a camera.  Swallowing hard, she tells him, “She knows. The Machine must know where Shaw is and if she's alive. But... she won't tell me.”  Harold tries to rationalize giving up on Sameen by telling Root it nearly led to disaster.  But Root knows the truth and confronts Harold.  “You gave up on her days ago. You really think she's dead.”  Resorting to platitudes Harold tries to convince Root they need to reconcile themselves to never knowing what happened to Shaw.  But Root will never give up on Sameen.  Harold should know it.  “We need an answer.  **_I need_** an answer, if Sameen is alive or if she's dead.”

Turning back to the camera, Root pleads with the Machine.  “Please, help us. Please.”  Despondent, Root looks away.  Then a nearby payphone starts to ring.  Hopeful, Root glances back up at the camera and then walks to the phone with Harold.  Picking up the receiver, Harold takes out his notebook and hears, “Sierra. Tango. Oscar. Papa. Sierra. Tango. Oscar. Papa.”  Encouraged and anxious, Root wants to know what the Machine is saying.  Harold hands her the receiver and the Machine repeats, “Sierra. Tango. Oscar. Papa. Sierra. Tango. Oscar. Papa.”  Deciphering the code on his pad, Harold turns it around and shows it to Root.  Unbelieving, Root stares back up at the camera.  Regretfully, Harold tells Root, “The Machine is asking us to stop looking for her. Perhaps the Machine does know. Perhaps it has a plan. But for our own survival, our sanity, I believe we must reconcile ourselves with never knowing the truth. Otherwise, our pursuit of it will consume us entirely.”

Root imperceptibly nods her head; not in agreement, but in acknowledgment of Harold’s words and perhaps, in small measure, in agreement the pursuit will consume her.   But Root knows she will never reconcile herself to not knowing.  Until she finds her body, Shaw is out there, waiting for her, needing her help. 

Root never believed anything would come between her and the Machine, her God.  But without a doubt there is one person for whom she’ll defy her God and anyone else trying to separate them.  Shaw.  Root is more than willing to let the pursuit of the truth consume her.  It’s a fire she’ll walk into willingly.  Root also never thought she could be as disappointed in Harold as she feels the moment he finishes his self-righteous monologue on the virtues of abandoning Shaw.  Harry had been her hero even before the Machine.  He changed Root’s life, created God.  There were simply no words to express how achingly bereft she felt looking into his eyes.    So she said all she could, “Goodbye Harold.”

Root walks away, lost in her thoughts. 

 

* * *

 

 

She remembers their day at Coney Island.  

Root tracks Shaw down after a mission.  “Hey sweetie, have time for a hotdog?  My treat.”  There’s a gentle breeze and strands of her hair are blowing messily onto her face.  She’s looking at Shaw with that adoring gleam in her eyes, smiling warmly.  Shaw knows it’s the smile Root reserves for her.   

She rolls her eyes, not at all surprised Root tracked her down.  Root shows up randomly, sometimes in person, sometimes over comms.  She’s used to it.  Whatever.  “No Root, I do not have time for a hotdog.”  The boardwalk is teaming with tourists constantly invading her personal space and Shaw can’t wait to get away from them.  Her tone reeks of annoyance.

But Root pleads with her eyes, confident she can entice Shaw with food.  Root’s eyes are brown, but they’re clear like glass.  It always unnerves Shaw on those occasions when she holds Root’s gaze.  Suddenly, it’s hot and Shaw starts walking away.  But Root never lets Shaw’s grumpiness deter her and she follows along, easily keeping pace.

“You can’t come to Coney Island and not eat a hot dog Sameen.  It’s covered in chili…”  Only Root gets away with calling her Sam or Sameen.  Everyone else gets their head bitten off and rather quickly learns to just call her Shaw.  She’s not sure when that happened or why she lets Root get away with it; it’s just the way it is. 

Root always seems to get under her skin, making her itchy and more often than not Shaw gets away from her as quickly as possible.  Well, except for those times they’ve had sex.  Shaw has a rule.  At most she’ll sleep with someone three times.  She doesn’t want attachments or relationships or people talking to her about their feelings.  But with Root it’s already a speck in the rear view mirror.  Shaw sighs and Root knows she’s won. 

Anyway Shaw’s always hungry and she knows giving in to Root is easier than fighting her once she’s set her mind on something.  “Fine, but you’re buying me two… and a beer…or three as the case may be.”  Root smiles widely and links her arm with Shaw’s.  Although Shaw scowls, she doesn’t pull away. 

Nathan’s Famous was established in 1916 and their hotdogs are widely touted as the best in the country.  Shaw orders two chili dogs with crinkle cut fries and a beer.  She also orders a club sandwich for Root, knowing she won’t eat a hotdog. 

But Root claims she’s not hungry.  Shaw knows Root doesn’t eat nearly enough to keep up with her body’s nutritional needs.  She’s lean and lanky, not an ounce of on her body.  If you didn’t know her, you’d think she had an eating disorder.  But Root simply forgets to eat.  When she’s coding especially. 

So Shaw usually tries to feed her when she’s around; although she refuses to consider why she cares whether Root eats or not.  “Root, coffee is not a food group.  If you eat the sandwich I’ll stay here for _one_ hour.”  Needing no other incentive, Root eats the sandwich…with a cup of coffee.  Shaw finishes her hotdogs in four bites and makes Root buy her another beer. 

Root’s bursting with glee.  It’s not often she can spend time with Shaw when they’re not having sex.  She’s never felt this way before but everything’s more intense and she feels more connected to life when Shaw’s around, even when she’s being ignored.  It’s like a craving she can’t completely satisfy.  But Root likes that Shaw doesn’t feel like other people.  Somehow it makes them click.  _Clicking’s probably against Shaw’s rules._      

“Come on Sam; let’s go ride the Cyclone Roller Coaster.”  Shaw rolls her eyes and growls, “I am not riding a roller coaster Root.”  But as usual Root somehow manages to get Shaw to do things she wouldn’t normally do.  She sees it as its happening but it doesn’t seem to matter.  She does them anyway.

Root knows how to push her buttons in more ways than one.  “Okay sweetie, I didn’t realize you couldn’t handle the ride.”  Shaw grinds her teeth.  She knows she’s being manipulated but acquiesces anyway.  “I am not afraid of anything.”  Root gives her a disbelieving look.  “Fine,” Shaw huffs.   

When they get to the coaster there’s a long line.  Root knows Shaw won’t wait so she flirts with the attendant, who lets them jump the line.  Shaw watches and feels annoyed watching this guy rake his gaze along Root’s body.  She gives him a death stare and his eyes pop back into his head.  Root notices and gives her a knowing smile.  Shaw just rolls her eyes and looks away. 

The Cyclone is an iconic wooden roller coaster, but it packs some serious punch when it comes to its drops and turns.  They’re in the last car, which provides the most intense experience.  On the final drop they fly at least five inches off their seats.  Although Shaw doesn’t scream, Root sees the delighted look on her face during the two minutes the ride lasts.  When the ride’s over, she looks at Root.  “Okay, it didn’t suck.”  Root shakes her head laughing. 

When she suggests they ride the bumper cars next, Shaw doesn’t argue.  Slamming into other people sounds like something she’d like. 

They wander over to the carnival games.  Root catches Shaw looking at the shooting gallery with interest.  “You know Sam the shooting gallery has cast-iron targets; they’re supposed to be harder to knock down.”  Shaw feigns indifference.  But…“I’m always up for some target practice, might as well get some use out of this annoying stroll.” 

Of course she knocks all the targets down with ease, but Root catches her smiling before she hides it behind her usual façade.  When the carnie offers Shaw her choice of prizes though, she stalks away, scowling.  Root picks a dog looking surprisingly like Bear and hurries after her.

Shaw refuses to admit she’s having fun, but agrees when Root suggests they stop for a drink.  Root orders her a shot of Astral tequila and a draft beer, settling on an Old Fashioned for herself.  Shaw looks at her suspiciously but knocks back the tequila without salt or lime.  Astral requires neither; it’s one of the best tequila’s in the world.  

They sit at the long wooden counter overlooking the boardwalk and the ocean.  There’s a crowd but not enough of one to annoy Shaw.  Root nurses her drink, but Shaw orders another shot and beer.  Root knows it takes a lot more than a couple of shots and beers to get Shaw drunk and she hopes it helps her relax.

Rare for Shaw, she starts talking without prompting.  “As a kid one of my dad’s postings was in Qandahar.  There was this roundabout in the playground.  The first time I tried it, I got sick and the other kids laughed at me.  So I went back the next day and spun all day long until I stopped getting sick.  It became my safe place.”    

Root never teases during these unguarded moments Shaw shares with her.  And she never tries to insert her own opinions or analyze what Shaw says.  She just listens.  The moments are uniquely intimate.  Sex for them is hot, and fun, and occasionally tender.  But somehow it’s just not the same.  Shaw doesn’t talk to anyone else like this.  So Root never refers to their talks afterwards, even indirectly.  If Shaw needs to pretend they don’t happen that’s fine with her.     

They sit for a while in comfortable silence watching the tourists.  Root laughs at their ridiculous outfits and tries to guess the price range of the ever present cameras.  Gradually she senses Shaw staring at her and looks over to see desire raging in her eyes.  Without another word, she grabs Root’s hand and leads her to the back of the bar intending to take them to the bathroom for some privacy.  But she spots a storage room instead. 

Opening the door, the bar-back’s inside stacking bottles of liquor.  Shaw snaps at him. “Out.  Now.”  He takes one look at her and decides silence is the better part of valor and makes himself scarce.  There’s a strange odor like when you’re hung over and the alcohol escapes through your pores.  The ceiling fan hums as it spins.  Surprisingly the sound is soothing. 

Shaw locks the door and pushes Root against it, pressing their lips together roughly.  Root grabs her hair and pulls her closer, moaning at the feel of Shaw’s body pressed against her.  Shaw pulls away and rakes Root’s neck with her teeth, sucking right at her pulse point, making Root gasp. 

She scrapes her nails down Shaw’s back underneath her shirt, fueling their sexual adrenaline. Shaw draws back and looks at her, “You’re so fucking hot.”  Root nibbles and licks her way to Shaw's ear.  She exhales slowly and whispers.  “I want you to fuck me.”  The words combined with the heat of Root’s breath ignite a burning desire that coils in Shaw’s belly. 

She sees the hunger in Root's eyes and if she has to wait one more second to touch her she knows she’ll combust.  She pulls Root’s skirt up until its riding her thighs and finds Root’s commando.  She’s wet, and hot, and so ready.  The words are out of Shaw’s mouth before she can swallow them.  “I love it when you come undone for me.”  Root gives her that knowing smile and Shaw doesn’t even care that Root planned for this all along. 

But it does earn Root a little punishment.  She’s writhing in anticipation but Shaw makes her wait.  She strokes her slit teasingly, while she places her free hand on her neck, massaging erotically.  Her stroke is sensual, soft, but gradually grows more firm and intentioned.  “Sam…please…”  It sounds like a prayer.  Shaw can smell Root’s arousal and it’s that scent that will be her undoing, its persuasive power stronger than any words Root could utter.  She can’t resist, it enters like a breath into her lungs, filling her up, imbuing everything.  There’s no remedy. 

Shaw doesn’t take her eyes off Root’s.  She begins to apply the slightest pressure to her throat.   Root can’t stop herself from moaning.  In an erotic daze, her arousal increases exponentially.  All she knows is that she doesn’t want Shaw to stop. Every time Shaw squeezes her neck just a bit harder, she feels the blood rush to her head, pulsing and throbbing; the feeling echoing inside her. She’s dazed from lack of oxygen and an excess of arousal.

Root wraps her leg around Shaw’s hip.  Gasping, she pleads, “I want you inside me…now.  Hard and fast.”  Shaw enters Root with three fingers, pounding hard, bruising her clit with her thumb.  She squeezes Root’s throat harder. The sensations in the back of Root’s eyes and in her clit are like nothing she’s ever felt before.

Her body’s thrashing and she grabs Shaw’s hand with her own, trying to get her to squeeze harder, longer.  Shaw’s intoxicated with the sight of Root desperate and needy just for her.  “I’m going to make you come hard."  Root feels sensually dominated, close to Shaw, exposed.

Shaw knows how to control Root’s breath and body.  Root’s communicating with her eyes, telling her when to stop, how much pressure to apply.   She slows down her thrusting, and begins to rub Root’s clit in a circular motion.

“I want to hear you scream my name when you come."   The words send a jagged bolt of _lightning_ down Root’s spine, _straight_ to her groin.  Shaw knows Root's orgasm’s not far off.  She holds her throat firmly in her hand and applies more pressure, completely awed by the power Root gives her. 

Root feels like she’s going to pass out and tries to gasp for air, but she can’t.  A moment later her body tenses and she experiences an orgasmic explosion as Shaw releases her throat, breath and pleasure colliding in an erotic bliss.  It seems to go on forever.

"Shaw…"  Root’s panting so hard she can’t get the words in her brain to piece together a coherent sentence and she’s so spent she can’t stand on her own, but Shaw holds her up easily, gently cradling Root in her arms.  “Are you okay?”  Root looks up, smiling openly. 

“I can’t describe the feeling, intense.  I’ve never felt anything like it.”  Shaw doesn't lie, but usually she keeps her thoughts to herself, so her next words surprise her more than Root.  “Me either.”  Root smiles suggestively.  “Well don’t feel you have to deprive yourself.  I’m always available.”  Shaw rolls her eyes, but captures Root’s mouth with her own, effectively shutting her up.

As they slowly explore with their tongues, Shaw unbuttons her jeans and reaches in to touch herself.  Root can feel every move Shaw makes. As she takes her lips in her own, Root reaches between them, rubbing Shaw’s nipple with her fingers, using Shaw’s shirt to cause an almost painful friction.   

Shaw growls, biting Root’s lower lip hard, but immediately replaces her teeth with her tongue, soothing the bruised skin.  She continues to touch herself rhythmically, her orgasm building.  Root runs one hand up and down Shaw’s back and lowers the other from her nipple to the hand Shaw’s using to pleasure herself.  "Let me help you with that." 

Root turns her around, so her back is now pressed into Root.  She reaches her hand in on top of Shaw’s, intertwining their fingers.  Shaw feels the lub-dub sound of Root’s racing heart and it’s sublime and just for her.   

Root takes control and starts to circle their hands around Shaw’s clit but never quite getting there.  She uses her other hand to lower Shaw’s jeans further and slips two fingers inside her, pulling in and out slowly.  Shaw’s never been more grateful for Root’s taller height and longer limbs. 

She’s almost there, but Root won’t let her come, still teasing.  She’s panting so hard her words are almost impossible to decipher.  “You know what I want.  Give it to me.”  Root smiles at the intensity of Shaw's arousal.  “Okay Sameen…Come for me.”  As she says the words, Root grazes their hands onto Shaw’s clit, rubbing gently.  Shaw comes hard, pushing her head back into Root’s chest.  “Fuck, fuck, fuck, don’t stop.” 

Shaw slips her hand out from Root’s and brings it up to Root’s hair, tugging hard.  Root continues fucking her slowly and stroking her clit softly.  When Shaw’s spent, she turns her around so Shaw can see her lick her fingers unhurriedly.  Shaw leans in to taste herself in Root’s mouth.

As they recover their breaths, they straighten out their clothes, laughing softly.  "Sam...just wow!  Thanks."

As Sameen opens her eyes, she hears the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor and sees Greer standing over her, “If this is the afterlife, it sucks,” she quips.  Considering the circumstances, Shaw should be much less chipper, but she’d thought she’d be dead, so waking up clearly exceeds her expectations.  _I know Root will never stop looking for me.  And even sorry excuse for Robot Overlord acolyte over here can’t change it.  I just have to hold on long enough.  These people have no idea what I’ll do to get back to Root._

Wondering what she’s thinking, Greer chuckles and in that sickeningly polished accent of his tells her, “I sincerely hope you managed to get some rest, my dear Sameen. You're going to need it.”


	17. Saving Harry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Machine next tells her to seek out Harold for help with the app. “On the job Harold?” Finch stands, wistfully whispering, “Ms. Groves.” As Root looks at him, she mocks him gently although definitely sarcastically. “Good to see you're still on task. The world could scarcely afford to lose another pot dealer.” Absent is Root’s traditional smirk or even the hint of a smile. Harold’s not sure what to say. “I did as you asked. I stayed away.” Not in a mood to play games, Root stares at him, calling him out on his bullshit. “You did that for your own reasons, Harry.” Getting no response, Root continues, “What if you're going about it all wrong? Maybe we should be looking for people to enlist.” Astonished, without thinking, Harold asks, “Against Samaritan? How can you say that after... everything that happened?”
> 
> Her hands itching to throw him against the nearest wall, Root just rolls her eyes in a gesture reminiscent of Shaw. “ ‘Everything that happened.’ Is that her name now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Shaw's still missing, but we're getting there. Let me know if you think I should write another Root/Shaw memory.

With Shaw’s fate uncertain and Root deliberately absent, the team essentially consists of two full members, Finch and Reese. As they embark on a new mission, John asks Harold if he’s heard from Root and if there’re any new leads on Shaw.  Harold can’t bring himself to say anything, only nodding no. 

John, unlike Harold, understands Root will never abandon Shaw and supports her decision.  Even setting aside the unique link binding the two women, honor and loyalty dictate Root continue her search until she either finds Shaw or brings her remains home.  Not being a soldier in the traditional sense, Harold doesn’t understand the mentality requiring an unbending determination to take care of your own.  John will help Root in any way he can, but he can’t do that if he doesn’t know what she needs.  Stoic as he is uncomplicated, John figures Root will reach out eventually.

 

* * *

 

Root decides to continue working the relevant numbers.  At some point the Machine will predict keeping Root in the dark about Shaw is more dangerous than helping Root find her.  Root intends to do everything in her power to make that happen sooner rather than later.

That starts by refusing to work any irrelevant numbers with Harold and John.  Without Shaw there’s no incentive to take an interest.  So in between working the relevant numbers, Root systematically hunts Samaritan’s operatives, regardless of their role in the organization.  She uses any means necessary to learn anything even remotely connected to Shaw.  Root kills them all and thwarts Samaritan’s operations whenever and wherever she can, increasing the likelihood she will be seriously injured or die.  She won’t stop until the Machine tells her what she needs to know.

 

* * *

 

But one day the Machine tells her Harold will most certainly be killed without her intervention.  Although Root’s stopped caring what happens to him on a personal level, he's a critical component to defeating Samaritan.  So she relents and rescues him.

As Harold is being escorted by Samaritan operatives and Claire, Root appears and kills the agents.  She hopes to capture Claire since she’s higher up on the food chain, so she doesn’t kill her.  “Nice to finally meet you, Claire.  Give your boss a message for me: Hi.”  She shoots Claire in the shoulder and Claire runs.  Root decides not give chase since she needs to get Harold to safety.  “Come on, Harry, gotta let this one go.”     

Root escorts Harold to the subway.  Before she leaves, John returns.  “Root? You're back?”  Root answers him impassively.  “For about eight more seconds.”  As she turns to leave John asks if she has a new mission.  “There's a lot that's new.”  She doesn’t elaborate, but gives Harold a look that says it all.

Abandoning Shaw is not something Root will forgive, even of her closest friends or her God; perhaps exactly because they were her closest friends.  She may be serving the Machine again in the hopes the Machine will relent and help her find Shaw, but working with the team who betrayed them, that she’s nowhere near ready to accept.  At least Root still believes the Machine has a plan.  She also believes the Machine would've told her if Shaw was dead.  Root knows She's keeping Shaw's location hidden because She deems a rescue attempt an unacceptable risk. 

 

* * *

 

Root’s next cover requires her to infiltrate a software company run by Caleb Fitz.  Caleb’s company is developing a compression algorithm that may help in their war with Samaritan.  The company is also working on a new security system.  Root suspects it’s a Samaritan project.   To that end Root writes code for a sophisticated build for a mobile platform, trying to get Caleb to partner with her in its development.   Instead, Caleb offers her a job working on new security software his company is developing.  Root accepts.  

The Machine next tells her to seek out Harold for help with the app.  “On the job Harold?”  Finch stands, wistfully whispering, “Ms. Groves.”  As Root looks at him, she mocks him gently although definitely sarcastically.  “Good to see you're still on task. The world could scarcely afford to lose another pot dealer.”  Absent is Root’s traditional smirk or even the hint of a smile.   Harold’s not sure what to say.  “I did as you asked.  I stayed away.”  Not in a mood to play games, Root stares at him, calling him out on his bullshit.  “You did that for your own reasons, Harry.”  Getting no response, Root continues, “What if you're going about it all wrong? Maybe we should be looking for people to enlist.”  Astonished, without thinking, Harold asks, “Against Samaritan? How can you say that after... everything that happened?”

Her hands itching to throw him against the nearest wall, Root just rolls her eyes in a gesture reminiscent of Shaw.  “‘Everything that happened.’  Is that her name now?”  Harold gets defensive.  “You said you didn't want to talk about Ms. Shaw.”  He’s right.  Root doesn’t want to talk about Sameen with him, because if he tries to justify abandoning Shaw one more time, Root may lose control and do something she’ll regret down the road.  So she ignores his comment.  “Let's talk about the 7.1 billion people out there, Harold. And the odds that a few of them just might give us an advantage over a runaway artificial intelligence.”

Realizing Root must only be there because the Machine sent her, Harold asks, “What's the Machine proposing?”  Root explains the Machine wants her to develop an app to get the attention of the right people, although Root’s not sure of its exact purpose yet.  Having informed Harold of the plan as the Machine instructed, Root realizes she can’t stand to be in his presence a moment longer.  As she leaves, Root gives Harold a tin of black tea she picked up in Sri Lanka.  Root’s not sure why she bothered.  Maybe as a not so subconscious “fuck you.”

 

* * *

 

Yet again the Machine sends Root to save Harold. 

Finch reconnects with Elizabeth (Beth) Bridges, the owner of the small tech company he met in Hong Kong.  Bridges is about ready to turn over to Samaritan the software she developed, which contains the Trojan horse Finch loaded into her computer.

As Finch prepares to leave to meet Beth, Root appears at the subway.  Keeping her demeanor cool, lest Finch think all’s forgiven, Root nevertheless tells him, “I've missed you, Harold.”  Suspicious, and knowing Root has not forgiven, much less forgotten, their divide over Shaw, Harold surreptitiously disconnects a device from his laptop and then turns, “Ms. Groves.”  Casually, Root walks over to his desk and sits on top, saying, “Long time no see. Is something going on? You seem distracted.” Harold feigns indifference.  “Not distracted, departing. I'm going to have coffee with someone that Professor Whistler met at a conference in Hong Kong a few months ago.”  Root tries to get under his skin as Harold hastily rises. “A female someone, judging by the color in your cheeks.”  Harold simply bids her good day.

Pensively, Root stares after him.  Of course Root knows what Harold's hiding.  She didn’t just appear coincidentally at the subway; the Machine sent her.  Smiling slightly to herself, she wonders how Harold could be naive enough to think She wouldn’t know about his plans.

Harold meets Beth at a restaurant just as she’s finishing up her meeting with a Samaritan employee regarding the delivery of her algorithm.  As Harold kisses her hello, Beth tells him, “I was just talking to my angel investor about my situational analysis project… We are finally going live. As soon as I give him this hard drive, they're going to install my algorithm in their system.”  Harold learns she intends to hand over the hard drive in the next two days.  They make a dinner date.

As he arrives back at the subway, Finch realizes John texted him with a new number as Finch was sitting down to meet with Beth; she’s the new number.  Understanding Root’s visit to the subway wasn’t a coincidence, Finch tracks her down and they meet at a diner.  Root was expecting him.  Finch shows Root Beth’s picture and explains her number came up just as he sat down with her that morning.  Root pretends she doesn’t know what he’s talking about.  “Elizabeth Bridges. She looks nice… You triggered it somehow. Ruh-roh!”  Finch asks if Root thinks Samaritan might be the threat.  Root knows the real threat.  “No. 'Cause if it were, you'd be dead,” she tells him matter-of-factly.

Finch asks her help in protecting Beth.  Root wants to know if there's anything Finch isn’t telling her.  Staring her straight in the face, Finch lies and says, “Of course not.”  Knowing he’s lying, Root agrees to help him. Aware Harold won't grasp the irony yet, Root admits “You know I'd do anything for you, Harold.  Anything.”  Although Root’s response makes Harold think twice about lying, he says nothing.  Little does he know when Root said “anything,” it didn’t necessarily mean Root would be doing what Harold expects.

Root and Harold begin following Beth.  Knowing what’s ahead, Root’s thoughts turn philosophical.  “Come a long way since our first field trip together, haven't we?”  Harold responds with quiet irony.  “When you kidnapped me and killed two people? A bit.”  Root grows wistful.  “Even then, I was in awe of you. The man who created God. I never thought...”  Interrupting her, Harold asks, “What?”  Root continues, “That we'd be friends.  Now I can't imagine what the world would be like without you. What I would be like.”  Root means it.  Harold changed her world when he built the Machine.

Reaching Beth’s hotel, Root tells Harold she’s going to blue-jack Beth’s phone, but he stops her, explaining Beth’s research has attracted Greer’s attention.  Root tests Harold to see if he'll tell her the truth.  “Flag on the play, Harold. She's in business with Samaritan's sock puppet?”  Harold brushes it aside as coincidence.  “That you neglected to mention.”  Dismissing her concerns, Finch takes a call from Beth arranging to meet at a Sushi place in the village for dinner.  Root's somewhat sympathetic.  “You like her.” To which Harold gives an embarrassed nod.

As a man approaches and engages in an altercation with Beth, Root sends Harold away, explaining she’ll figure out what’s going on.  A little later Harold meets up with her as she’s still following Beth.  Finch finally tells her about Beth’s research and the Trojan horse he installed in her computer hoping it will be uploaded to Samaritan and give them a back door into their enemy.  He further explains the virus is dormant until he activates it with a device he built.  Finch intends to activate it when he meets Beth for dinner.

Root is impressed with Harold’s program.  “But it's data from Samaritan's core heuristics.  It…It’s—DNA . You may be able to find a way to cripple it.”  Harold then explains the program can only be used once.  “Our enemy will trace the data stream and try to destroy whoever is wielding the device. But it could make a difference in this war.”  For the first time since Sameen was taken, Root can’t help but smile at him.  “Dangerous and bold. That's my Harry.”  Thinking back to a break-in at his office, Harold wonders how it’s related.

Root convinces him the break-in was unrelated to the virus.  The man fighting with Beth is her husband from whom she’s separating.  Root speculates Beth’s husband must've been following her and saw Beth meeting with Finch; his murderous thoughts triggering Beth’s number.  Root further speculates it was Beth’s husband that broke into Harold’s office.  But she knows the truth and what she’s going to do next.  As she turns to leave, Harold senses some shift, “Is there a problem? Can I help?”  Regretfully Root tells him, “You're a good friend, Harold. But this one I have to do alone.”  She leaves him with a kiss on the cheek, knowing it may be the last time they meet as something resembling friends.

As Root makes her way to Beth’s room, she knows Harold’s following her, but it’s inevitable.  A part of Root wants him to know, maybe then he’ll feel one tenth of what she felt when she lost Sameen.  After all, Harold barely knows Beth, but Root’s loved and spent the better part of three years getting to know Sameen.

Harold walks in while Root is riffling Beth’s luggage.  Root glances back at him but keeps searching.  “This is Beth's room, Harold. Why are you here?”  He's clearly confused.  “I was concerned, Ms. Groves, you seemed... Why are you here?”  She attempts a half-hearted explanation, but her affect is flat, “I just wanted to make sure we were right about her ex-husband being the threat. You should probably high-tail it. Beth could come back at any minute. Really, Harold. You should go.”

But the truth begins to dawn on Harold. “Ms. Groves... Root... The threat to Beth's life... Is it you?”  Knowing he would figure it out, Root doesn’t bother to continue with the ruse and looks at him without flinching “Yes, Harold. I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill her.”  Putting the pieces together, he finally understands.  “You followed me to coffee with Beth.  It was you watching us, not her ex-husband.  And my office?”  Inpatient, Root admits it was her.  “Trashed it.  I was looking for that activation device.” Harold’s disgusted with himself for not putting it together sooner. “So you knew before I told you what my plan was?” 

Root continues with her preparations.  “I knew enough.  You told me the rest.”  She turns to look at him.  “Only you would have the audacity, Harold.  Sneaking past Zeus to steal fire.  But inevitably, you'll be discovered.  Samaritan will link Harold Whistler with Beth Bridges and minutes later, it will murder you.  All because you'll see her tonight and activate that program.  She's gonna get you killed, Harold.  That's why she has to die.”  He tells Root it’s not necessary, but she explains as if he never spoke. “It's a neurotoxin. Untraceable. I promise, I'll make sure her death is painless.”

Not deluding herself, Root understands a big part of her is enjoying laying it all out for Harold.  “Harold, this is chloral hydrate. I'm going to put you out.  Making you watch would just be cruel.”  Cruel, like holding Root back, making her stand impotent while the love of her life was gunned down like an animal.  Cruel, like sedating Root so she couldn’t go back for Sameen.  Cruel, like rationalizing abandoning Shaw for his own selfish reasons; not caring it was crushing Root’s existence.

Harold continues to beg. “Don't do this. Please, Ms. Groves.”  Ignoring him, Root continues to talk about Beth’s murder as if it’s no more than an inconvenience.  “But Beth should be back by now.  I bet she stopped at Veniero's.  She loves their cannoli.”  Harold tries to reason with her.  “Why kill her? Why didn't you just tell me not to see her?”

 _Good question Harry.  Why did you abandon Shaw?  Why did you abandon me?  Those are also good questions._   “I knew you'd never stop. This plan of yours means too much to you.  No, it's—it’s better to let Beth die of a heart attack.”  As she dampens a cloth with the chloral hydrate, Root loses her patience.  “Enough.  This won’t hurt I promise.”  As Root moves towards him, Harold backpedals, speaking so fast it’s almost unintelligible, with tears in his eyes, “My plan does mean too much.  Too much to kill her.  If you do, my program will fail.  This could be a real weapon. It's worth risking my life.”  Moving towards him, Root believes she agrees with him.   Her pain over losing Sameen eliminated every shred of good will Root ever felt for Harold.  But the Machine deems him too important to lose.  And although Root will defy her God for Sameen’s sake, it’s not worth it to do it for Harold.  Besides, knowing he’s responsible for Beth’s death will wound Harold in a way dying never could.

But as Root stands there looking at him, she knows the truth.  She’s been focusing her rage on Harold to avoid dealing with her own role in Shaw’s fate.  So almost despite herself she blurts out, “You're too important to me!”  Shocked, Harold finally understands, the Machine didn’t tell Root to kill Beth.  Defeated, Root explains, “She told me not to. I—I thought I could sacrifice everyone. I—I really did.  Win some, lose some, right? It's for a good cause. But... But it turns out I can't lose you, Harold.  Not you _**and**_ Shaw.”  No matter how devastated Root remains over Sameen’s loss, Harold gave her a new life, a new existence.  He made her someone worthy.

Knowing any further argument will be futile, Harold lunges towards the dresser and drinks the neurotoxin intended for Beth.  “There’s no need to kill her if I’m already dead.”  Arguing with Harold, Root realizes he holds himself responsible for Shaw’s fate.  And just like that her anger and rage drain.  Root comforts him. “Shaw's not your fault.  Even if she does turn up dead, it's not your fault.”  Her heart breaking, Root confesses. “I asked her to help us that day. I did, Harold!”  Root gives Harold her word Beth will live and rushes into the elevator to get him medical attention,

What Harold should have known is although Root would undoubtedly keep her word Beth would live, she would still find a way to ensure he could not implement his plan and risk his life.  Being ignorant, Harold arrives at Beth’s hotel room with flowers, only to be greeted by a furious Beth.  Evidently, Harold sent the International Mathematical Society a letter claiming Beth falsified data on a previous project.  Beth has electronic proof the email came from his university account.  Although Harold tries to shift blame to a hacker, he can’t tell Beth the truth, so he falls silent.  Beth slams the door with finality, “Goodbye Harold.”

Root returns to the subway, knowing she has to destroy the activation device.  Otherwise Harold may still try to activate the virus.  She waits for him, feeling it would be cowardly to just disappear.  When Harold sees her, it’s obvious he’s so very disappointed.  “It had to be Harry.”  Looking at her, his voice laden with sadness, he says, “You hurt a good woman.”

When Root justifies her actions by pointing out both Beth and Harold lived, Finch realizes Root must’ve taken the activation device.  Demanding it back, Root admits she destroyed it.  Completely disheartened Harold looks at Root.  Root's painfully aware how much Harold’s hurting on so many levels.  “It's okay if we're not friends anymore. You being alive is enough.”  He rests his hand on Root's shoulder.  “I don't want to see you for a while.”  Root covers his hand with hers.  “Of course.”  But Root would do it all over again.  “It was a brilliant plan, Harold.  The Trojan Horse.  But it would've gotten Professor Whistler killed.”


	18. The Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where does a man hide when a God wants him dead?”

The next number the Machine gives the team is that Sulaiman Khan, CEO of Castellum Security Inc, a pioneer in computer anti-virus software.  Khan's anti-viral software comes pre-installed in 86 percent of the network devices sold around the globe.  Given the nature of Khan’s business, Reese suggests they bring Root in on the case.  However, Harold refuses saying only, “Sorry.  Miss Groves and I are not on the best of terms.”  Being practical, John tells Harold, “Better kiss and make up, Finch.  We could use her on this one.”

Meanwhile, Root steals a custom-made indestructible case with a built-in GPS tracker.  She takes it to a hotel room and tries to disable the tracker.  Nothing seems to work, and Root reaches out to the Machine.  “I know we've had our differences, but I miss the days when you could tell me what to do.  Where's the tracker?”  But the Machine is silent so Root decides to fry it with 110 volts of electricity running through a lamp.  Root handcuffs herself to the case.  However, this has taken too long and the men tracking the case find her.  As they break into her room, Root hides next door.   Continuing their search, the men find her.   

Without hesitation she shoots the first man through the door.  Three shots, center mass.  Ever since Sameen was taken, Root no longer worries about leaving her enemies alive.  Shaw’s never far from her thoughts and Root’s concluded perhaps they would've all made it out of the stock exchange together if they’d killed more of Samaritan’s agents instead of leaving them alive to continue in the fight.  Every Samaritan agent Root kills avenges Sameen in a small way.

After she kills the first man, his partner lunges into the room firing.  Root uses the indestructible case to doge the bullets.  Root backs up into her original room.  The second goon runs out of bullets and Root disables him with a vicious blow to the face with the case.  Pleased with herself, Root mumbles “Could drop it from an airplane.  Not even a dent.”  She smiles and walks away.

 

* * *

 

 

Root remembers the day Sam decided to teach her how to fight.

Root comes back from yet another mission covered in bruises and Shaw decides its time she learned basic hand to hand combat.  “This is the third mission in a row where you come back battered and bruised.  You’re going to get yourself killed because you can’t block a punch.”  Root knows Shaw’s right, but close-in fighting has never been her strong suit.  “You’ve been stabbed, shot, and knocked unconscious many times.  Not to mention tased.  By me.  What’s your excuse?”  Shaw scowls. 

The next day Root arrives at the subway and finds Shaw dressed in workout clothes with her hands taped.  “You joining an MMA league sweetie?”  Shaw rolls her eyes but refuses to be side-tracked.  “You are going to learn basic fighting skills or I’m the one who’s going to leave you battered and bruised.”  Shaw’s set up a mat for them to train on.  Root pouts.  “Sameen, I’m not exactly dressed for the occasion.”  Shaw throws her shorts and a t-shirt.  “You are now.”  Root knows there’s no way out, so she resigns herself to getting her ass kicked.  At least she’ll get a chance to put her hands all over Shaw.

Root changes and walks over to the mat.  “The best way to not get hit is to NOT be where the punch is.”  Root’s not exactly impressed with Shaw’s pearls of wisdom so far.  Shaw punches her and she ends up on her ass on the mat.  Shaw pulled the punch, but it still stings.  “What the fuck Sam?!”  Shaw smiles widely.  “You think bad guys are going advertise?”  Shaw gives Root a hand up and Root rubs her jaw.  “Action is faster than reaction.  The first person to throw a punch will probably win the fight.  So if you see it coming, move.”  Root gives her an evil look.  “There are no rules in combat Root.”

“Okay so if by some miracle you actually see the punch coming, move your hands in the same direction the fist is moving.  Use both your hands.  The goal is reduce the force of the punch so you don’t end up unconscious or dead.”  Shaw punches her again.  Root barely moves and goes down.  The punch was softer and slower than the first one, but it still hurts.  Root’s getting pissed off.  “Is this an excuse so you can kick my ass?  Are you still mad I ate the last pizza slice?”  Shaw rolls her eyes and raises her eyebrows.

“Did it occur to you I might punch you again?  It should have.  An attacker isn’t just going to walk away after throwing the first punch, even if you manage to block it or he misses.”  Root decides to back away and not stand so close to Shaw.  “So if you manage to deflect or block a punch you need to immediately counter.  The eyes, nose, ears, neck, groin, knee, and legs are the areas where you can do the most damage, especially if you’re not particularly strong.”  Now Root’s just annoyed.  “I was an assassin for years and I’m still standing here.  I must’ve done something right.”

Shaw shakes her head.  “Root, when a job goes sideways and you have to fight, you’re not going to be able to plan and study and evaluate the most effective way of defeating your attacker.”  Shaw decides to switch tack.  “Ok, throw a punch at me.”  Root knows she’s going to regret it because there is inevitably a painful lesson about to be taught.  But Root’s not a total novice.  She throws a punch with her right, which Shaw easily deflects.  But since she used both hands, she left her chin vulnerable.  Root delivers a left hook and knocks Shaw out.  Root doesn’t believe in pulling punches.

When Shaw comes to, Root’s sitting at Harold’s desk munching an apple and looking at her.  Root’s expecting a real ass kicking now.  But Shaw looks at her and starts laughing.  “Maybe you’re not so hopeless after all.”  Root throws her apple at her.

 

* * *

 

   

Greer and Martine decide it’s time to kill Root.  Kahn is framed by Samaritan and arrested.  Samaritan arranges it so Kahn is processed and sent to prison, where Samaritan can instruct another criminal to kill him.  Reese infiltrates the prison as a corrections officer, arriving in time to disrupt an attempt on Kahn’s life.  Reese escapes the prison with Kahn in a corrections van, the prison guards giving chase.  As Reese eludes the people chasing them, Samaritan activates the street bollards.  Reese can’t avoid them in time and the van flips.  As Reese crawls out of the overturned van, Root arrives in an SUV.  “Hey John.  Need a ride?”  Root rescues Reese and Kahn and takes them to a safe house where Harold joins them.  They have Kahn restrained, but he’s unconscious anyway.

As they eat, Root patiently watches Harold.  “This mean you've forgiven me, Harold?”  Root knows she’s made peace with Harold’s role in Shaw’s disappearance, but she will never forgive him.  At least she left Beth alive.  Harold evades the question.   “At the moment, we have more pressing matters.  This safe house won't stay that way for long.  He needs to go.”  Root dismisses his comment.  “Where does a man hide when a God wants him dead?” 

Ever the pragmatist, John pipes up. “Finch, this guy's brilliant. Relentless. Maybe we should just read him in.”  Harold disagrees but Reese presses his case. “He's not Simon Lee or Claire Mahoney, and there's no convincing him otherwise.”  Harold continues to disagree. “The longer he stays around, the more questions he'll have.” 

Listening to them, Root continues to eat.  She doesn’t really care one way or the other.  Root rescued them on orders from the Machine.  Despite her willingness to reconcile herself with Harold, she’s still not invested in anything that doesn’t lead her to Sameen.  Root deadpans, “Wanna really blow his mind? Tell him there are two of these things.”  Kahn wakes up and tries to flee.  He believes Samaritan sent the team to get him.  Bemused, Root looks at Harold, “Right idea, wrong machine.”  Pretending annoyance, Harold tells her, “Not helping Ms. Groves.”  But in truth he appreciates the moment of levity Root brings to the occasion.  Indifferent, Root goes back to eating.

Root listens while she walks over to use Harold’s computer.  Finch notices and Root cringes, but shows him what she’s found.  “Harold, the port used to hack Khan's system sent a small amount of data back to an off-site IP address. I was able to determine its location.”  The area is in the woods, but the team has no idea what else might be out there.  Smiling genuinely for the first time, Root announces “Road trip.”  Root and Reese gather enough weapons to fight a small war.  Root brings some C4 along; just in case.  She admonishes John to avoid any bumps.  They head out to the location.

Once there, they exit the car and study their surroundings.  John brings out a rifle scanning the area for danger.  Suddenly, Root stops and John asks her what’s wrong.  “My cochlear implant.  I hear something.  Picking up Wi-Fi signals.  Data images…Coordinates.  Specific.”  She tells John where to aim and he disables Samaritan’s cameras.  Once the cameras are down, Root knows they have to move fast, as Samaritan will send operatives to investigate.

They find metal doors in the ground, which lead to an underground facility.  They search the facility and find a man sitting at a computer console.  He says he’s monitoring the computer while it scans for viruses in the power grid.  Harold analyzes the system and finds Samaritan has siphoned off the resources of Kahn’s company, using its diesel fuel to run generators around the clock.  Kahn’s servers have also been hijacked and are being used to run a global search.  Its apparent Samaritan is not searching for a virus.  Before they can investigate further, Root tells them they need to leave immediately.  As they exit the facility they come under fire from Samaritan operatives.  John tells Root they should hang back and draw the operatives out.  But Root spots Martine and everything else fades to the background.

The blood rushing to her head, Root stands and heads right for Martine. “I'm sorry, John.  Places to be, people to kill.”  John continues to fend off the other operatives.  As Martine and Root come face to face, they both run out of bullets.  In the brief seconds they stare at each other, Root thinks of Shaw and how very desperately she misses her.  Countless moments with Shaw flash through her mind and rage quickly boils her blood.  If she can’t have Shaw back, Martine will pay the price; one she very much intends to exact.

They lunge at the same time and engage in hand to hand combat, Root quickly gaining the upper hand.  As she straddles Martine, Root wraps her hands around her airway.  Starting to squeeze her throat, Root’s mind fades to black and all she can feel is the pressure of her hands and Martine struggling beneath her.  Root’s hatred fuels her muscles and their death grip.  But before Root can question her or alternatively kill her, Roots actually not sure which she’d prefer, John pulls Root off of Martine, knowing they’re outnumbered and need to run.  In the melee they lose track of Kahn.

Back at the subway Root bandages her hand.  Pissed off with John she tells him, “You should've let me kill her.”  John points out it wouldn’t bring Shaw back.  As Root finally looks at him despairingly, John remembers what it’s like to lose someone you love.  “You're right.  I should've let you kill her.”  Root wonders how she’d be feeling now if she had succeeded in killing Martine and concludes it would feel damn good to finally be rid of that bitch.  But she knows it wouldn’t fill the void created when she lost Shaw.  She also can’t stay mad at John.  She knows he’d do anything to help her bring Shaw back.

Even as the months pass, the pain doesn't diminish and Root sometimes feels the ache will swallow her whole.  She can only sleep a few hours at a time and dreams of Shaw often.  Root holds on to the feeling in her soul telling her she’s still alive and her absolute belief Shaw’s the strongest person she knows.  But if she doesn’t find her soon, Root fears the darkness will consume her, leaving behind nothing but blinding rage she’ll willingly inflict on the world.  Root’s already taken refuge in the violence, quenching her grief with blood.

Shaking those thoughts, she turns to John.  He asks about the case and Root explains its custom made out of some kind of carbon fiber Kevlar weave.  As John walks away he advises she get ready for battle.  Root receives a text from the Machine with the code for the briefcase.  Root follows Her instructions, opening the case and destroying a valuable Faberge egg inside.  She leaves the case in the subway car on a shelf and leaves.  It’s still too painful to be at the subway without Shaw.

Harold later explains to Reese he created a unique code when he built the Machine.  Samaritan was using Kahn’s software to search for the unique code.  A search using traditional means would’ve immediately alerted the Machine.  Samaritan fails to find the Machine, learning She's not on any networked device in the world.  Greer catches Kahn and murders him.


	19. Is The Machine Ok?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don't go buying me that blender just yet, Harry. With Samaritan hunting down the Machine, I figured we should start our own search for her. I tried to get close to someone I thought had inside information. It ended badly. Not only am I still on the market, but we have no leads to help us find her.”

Root appears at the subway dressed in a wedding dress.  Bemused, Harold asks “Congratulations…?”  In typical cryptic Root speak, she tells him “Don't go buying me that blender just yet, Harry. With Samaritan hunting down the Machine, I figured we should start our own search for her. I tried to get close to someone I thought had inside information.  It ended badly.  Not only am I still on the market, but we have no leads to help us find her.”  Tiredly, Root sits on the bench, her elbow on the armrest, her head in her hand.

Harold asks Root if she wants to help on a case that will help them determine if the Machine is functioning properly.  Perking up, Root agrees, asking, “When do we start?”  Harold explains two Brotherhood guys were shot dead, but their numbers never came up.  Finch isn’t sure why and Reese believes it’s possible there’s a glitch in the Machine. 

Root, Finch, and Fusco catch up with a member of Elias’ crew, Carlo, and Root interrogates him about the shooting.  Thoroughly enjoying running a scalpel all over his body, Root thanks Carlo when she’s done interrogating him.  Always a little put off when confronted with Root’s joy at inflicting pain, Harold gives her a wide berth but concludes the crime was one of opportunity, and therefore the Machine couldn’t have predicted it. 

When Root and Finch return to the subway, Finch tries to reach Reese.  Not being able to track him down, Finch calls Fusco asking him to let him know if he hears from John.  Gaze lingering on Harold, Root brings his sandwich to the desk, “You worry too much, Harry. I'm sure wherever he is, the big lug can take care of himself.”

Although Root has made huge strides in forgiving Harold for forcing her to abandon Shaw, her anger flares every time Harold expresses more concern for others than he ever did for Shaw.  Not for the first time Root wonders what Harold would have done if it’d been John left at the stock exchange.  Would he have been so blasé and readily abandoned him?  Considering Harold had been ready to die for Beth, who he barely knew, Root doubted he would have settled for never knowing John’s fate.

In a knowing tone, she asks Harold, “He's really got you worried, doesn't he, Harry?”  As Harold continues to work on the computer, Root walks over. “So have you found anything?”  Focusing on the facts, Harold murmurs, “I managed to isolate the location of his phone's last connection to our mesh network. Unfortunately the signal was lost soon after, and I have no other means of determining his location.”  Surprised she actually means it, Root tells him, “I’m sorry Harry.”

As Root turns to leave, she sees Bear lying on his bed.  She notices he’s cuddling with a black t-shirt.  Curious, she walks over and bends down to look closer.  Bear gives her a “don’t you dare take my blankie look” and Root laughs.  She may be crazy, but this dog talks.  She reads the t-shirt.  ‘Good Morning.  I see the assassins have failed.’  She laughs again but it turns into a small sob.  She gave Shaw the t-shirt as a gag.  Shaw loves it.  Petting Bear, Root remembers a walk in the park with Bear and Shaw.

 

* * *

 

Shaw starts to walk out of the subway with Bear.  It’s late and they just came back from a mission.  Shaw’s still wired so she decides to take Bear for a walk.  “Where’re you headed sweetie?”  Shaw rolls her eyes, but doesn’t respond as she leashes Bear up.  Root realizes she’s taking him for a walk when Shaw turns around and leaves. 

Shaw should know ignoring Root is like dangling catnip.  She’s just going to chase it down.  But she’s not surprised when she feels someone invading her personal space.  She heard Root coming several minutes ago.  It sort of bugs her she knows the cadence of Root’s walk so well.  She also caught her scent when Root was a few feet away, feminine, clean and sweet.  It _really_ bugs her she can recognize it and she finds it a bit intoxicating.  But it’s not like she can unlearn those things or control her body’s reaction. 

“Wait up.  Where’re we going?”  By now Root’s walking next to Shaw and she glances over.  “We?  Bear and I are going for a walk in the park.”  Shaw’s tone might as well say ‘get lost.’  But Root never lets Shaw’s grumpiness deter her.  She makes goo goo eyes at Shaw.  “How romantic.”  Shaw shakes her head and sighs.  Root links her arm through Shaw's as they continue walking, rubbing shoulders.  Shaw doesn't seem to notice and they walk to the park in comfortable silence, stopping every once in a while for Bear to sniff his surroundings.

As they approach the park entrance Shaw stops.  “What’s wrong sweetie?”  Shaw hushes her impatiently.  “Did you hear that?  It sounds like muffled screaming.”  Root looks around but doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary.  There are no streetlights and its pretty much pitch black, but Shaw spots a car with its trunk is bouncing up and down.  “Come on, I think someone’s trapped in the trunk of that car.”  Shaw draws her gun as they approach.  Someone locked in a trunk must mean trouble.

As they get nearer, they hear urgent screams.  Shaw can’t shoot the lock to pop the trunk because she might hit the victim and they don’t have a crow bar handy, so she waits a few seconds for Root to use her lock picks.  In a swift, dynamic movement Root flings the trunk open while Shaw stands to the side aiming her gun at the opening.

They see a woman.  Naked.  And a man.  Also naked.  The car is a hatchback and they’d put the back seats down and are lying the full length of the car, heads in the trunk.  The woman is clinging to the trunk hatch and rattling it every time she screams.  In ecstasy, not fear as Root and Shaw had assumed.  Except now the woman isn’t screaming.  She’s looking at them horrified.  So is the man.  Root is still holding the trunk open.

Root gawks, for a change at a loss for words.  Shaw, awkward in the best of social situations, can’t think of anything to say, but rallies.  “Sorry.  We thought you were trapped.  Like a hostage.  Because of the screaming and the rattling.  But clearly you don’t need our help.  Either of you.  This is the good kind of screaming.  Don’t let us stop you.”  Shaw can’t seem to stop babbling.  Recovering, Root pulls her away, laughing. 

As she starts to close the hatch, Root looks at the couple. “Get a room.”  She’s smiling so her words carry no sting.  But before she can get it closed, Bear jumps in, sort of next to but really mostly on the copulating couple’s faces.  Bear loves to ride in cars.  Automatically, Shaw tells him “Good boy.”  There’s more screaming but not the good kind.  Shaw pulls Bear out and they retreat quickly.  “I don’t think we made a good impression sweetie.”

Root can’t stop laughing which annoys Shaw to no end and makes her defensive.  “I didn’t want them to think we were perverts busting in on them.  Plus it looked like the guy needed some encouragement.”  Root spots an opening.  “Oh?   Why?”  Shaw glowers but answers.  “He was doing it wrong.”  Root can’t believe her luck.  “I’m not sure I understand, maybe you should demonstrate?”  This time Shaw doesn’t answer, shakes her head, rolls her eyes, and promptly pushes Root into a bush while she continues her walk with Bear.   


	20. Blind Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Root, are you there? It's me. I need your help."

Harold speculates maybe Samaritan found the Machine. 

Walking into the subway, Root overhears him.  “If that were true, we’d all be dead.”  Watching as Root cracks a plaster cast off her arm, Harold asks her what happened.  Root removes a computer chip from the wreckage of the cast.  “Turns out the People's Republic is surprisingly lax on full-body searches.”  She turns to face him.  “How goes your gang war Harry?”

As Finch talks to Reese, a phone rings.  Root finds the phone beneath some files on Harold’s desk.  Root’s stunned.  “Shaw’s phone.”  Root hugs the phone to her ear like its ambrosia.  “Hello?”  Briefly she hears Shaw’s voice. “Root, are you there? It's me. I need your help. I…”  The line quickly goes dead.  Anxiously Root answers, “Shaw? Wait. Sameen.”  Traumatized at the sound of Shaw's voice, Root stares at the silent phone in her hand.

Root immediately asks the Machine to run a voice analysis and trace the call.  It's possible Samaritan spliced together recordings of Shaw's voice and what she heard wasn't actually Sameen, but Root doubts it.  The voice had the same breathy tone with an undercurrent of strength that Root has memorized and replays in her head every day.  It was Shaw.  As soon as the Machine confirms the voice match and traces the call, Root springs into action.

Root can't help flinging recriminations at Harold.  “She's alive, Harold. We wrote her off for dead, but she's alive.”  Harold tries to keep Root from running off half-cocked.  “We don’t know that Ms. Groves.”  Root's exasperated.  “Except we do. I just talked to her on a call originating from the city.”  Harold begs her to take five minutes to talk it through, but Root emphatically refuses.  Her voice breaks as she arms herself. “The last time we had this conversation, I actually listened to you.  And to the Machine. I called off my search, and all this time, she needed us, Harold. Like she needs us now. Isn't this your specialty? Helping people when the phone rings?”  Root never gave up and will never give up looking for Shaw, but she was being more judicious in her efforts.

Glaring at him, Root wants to shake him until he understands she must find Shaw.  She’s alive and Root’s not going to let anything or anyone stop her this time.  She will not rest until she finds her.  Stating the obvious, Harold points out its most likely a trap.  Like that matters. “I know. But Sameen's still alive, and I'm going after her.”  Realizing Root’s not going to listen to reason, Harold takes off after her.  The next things Finch knows, he’s followed Root to the top of a skyscraper.  Although he asks Root what they’re doing out there, Root ignores him, looking into a security camera and obviously taking to the Machine. 

“When you told me to stop looking for Shaw, I did. But now I need you to help me. I can't do this alone.”  Having no doubt Sameen’s alive; Root’s willing to risk everything to find her.  Her life, the mission, whatever it takes.  Nothing else matters.  Root climbs up to the ledge of the roof.  “Harold taught you blackjack and chess... But I wonder if he ever taught you how to play chicken. I'm gonna walk across this ledge with my eyes closed until A, you help me find Sameen, or B, I fall tragically to my death.”  Harold freaks out as Root begins to walk with her eyes closed.  Although Root knows it's perfectly possible, and perhaps even probable, she'll fall to her death, she's committed to her plan.  Knowing the Machine’s calculating the chances of her survival, Root keeps her eyes closed.   “You've calculated the wind speed, so you know how treacherous this is. You have to ask yourself what's worse.  The two of us working together, or me taking this next step alone.”  Her predictive abilities unparalleled, the Machine knows Root will absolutely keep walking until she learns Shaw’s location or falls to her death.  Deciding the situation has reached critical mass, She relents and sends Root Shaw’s location.  Ecstatic, Root looks into the camera.  “Thanks for playing.”  Jumping down, with hope shining in her face for the first time in months, Root grabs Harold.

“Come on, Harry. She found us a ride.”  They steal an ambulance. “The Machine's located Sameen. Buckle up.”  They stop outside a medical facility.  “Shaw's call originated from a landline somewhere inside that asylum.” Harold reads the name on the building. “Steiner Psychiatric Institute.” Root elaborates.  “State controlled with a closed security system, which explains our little pit stop.”  Root exits the ambulance.  “The Machine would never let us show up empty-handed to a rescue mission.”  Trepidation is evident in Finch's voice.  “Did the Machine have any thoughts about us not getting ourselves killed?”  Her eyes glazed and a faraway look on her face, Root listens to the Machine and picks up a shovel, turning to look at Harold. “Right now, She's pretty fixated on this shovel.”  In any case, Root isn’t concerned about dying.  She’s going after Sameen regardless the risk or the cost.

When Reese contacts Finch for assistance, Finch tells him they’ve found Shaw.  John immediately stops. “Shaw? She's alive? Text me the address. I'm on my way.”  He turns to go, asking Fusco to stay with Elias.  Shaw’s John’s friend too and he promised himself he’d do anything to help Root get her back.  Elias and the Brotherhood’s clichéd gang war pales in comparison to rescuing Shaw.  There’ll always be gangsters killing each other.  Unfortunately, the Brotherhood corners them before John can make it out of the building.

Root digs up an area covered with snow in front of the asylum.  “11 weeks ago, this second-rate facility upgraded to a fiber-optics network it can't possibly afford.”  Root finds the hatch leading to the network.  “Come on, Harry.”  They climb down the ladder.  “Information travels through optical fiber in pulses of light. Just 1% of any one pulse contains...”  Catching on, Harold finishes her thought. “100% of the data. Like a drop of blood carrying DNA.”  Root clamps one of the cables.  “Exactly. Our micro-clamping friend here will bend the cable just enough to leak a little light.”  Harold opens his laptop and starts to analyze the data.  “And they'll never know they've been hacked…This is a cascade of information. Samaritan is doing more than just harboring Ms. Shaw in there. We'll need to crack its considerable encryption.”  Root looks over his shoulder.  “She's already accessing your laptop.”  As they both stare, the Machine decrypts a message.  “ALL FORCES ON ALERT.  WE WILL SOON LOCATE THE MACHINE.”

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Root and Harold rush out, while Root talks to the Machine.  “They're close to finding you… I don't care what happens to me.”  From the moment Root heard Shaw's voice, she knew she’d stop at nothing to find her.  If Root dies, so be it.  But now that she knows the Machine also needs their help, Root’s even more determined to succeed.  Chasing Root, Harold asks what the Machine is saying.  Root tells him the truth.  The Machine says it’s too dangerous.  Of course Harold agrees, but Root didn’t expect anything else.  Refusing to slow down, Root tries an argument she knows will be more persuasive to Harold than her desperation to find Sameen.  “This isn't just a rescue mission to save Shaw. The Machine needs our help too. If we don't save them, who will?”

Persuaded, Harold goes along with Root.  Dressing him in a mismatch of clothing, Root wheels Harold into the asylum.  “You admitted me to the funny farm once. Turnabout's fair play.”  Sardonically, Harold tells her, “I don't recall dressing you like a homeless dope fiend.” Root chuckles.  “It's not that bad. You look more hipster than homeless.”  Asking for instructions from the Machine, Root tells Harold just to be honest.  She approaches a doctor, telling him Harold needs to be admitted for an involuntary 72 hour hold.  The doctor asks Harold if he agrees.  “It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you…The Brotherhood, the federal government, an artificial super intelligence, obviously.”  Trying to hide her laughter, Root tells the doctor they should admit Harold as a John Doe, “…he basically lives in the subway.”  Harold’s admitted and Root sets out to find Shaw.

Causing a disturbance with Root’s help, Harold accesses the asylum’s network.  “The ninth floor is reserved for the most violent patients. It's the most secure, and it's the only floor without surveillance cameras.”  Root reaches the ninth floor.  “It's also the only floor with secure elevator access. This has to be it.”  Harold searches for a patient profile matching Shaw’s.  “Okay, don't lose your head, Ms. Groves. This might mean nothing, but they're holding a compact Persian sociopath in Room 914.”  Root sighs, short of the chart saying Sameen Shaw, Harold will continue to doubt and try to discourage her.  She continues her search.

Infiltrating the ninth floor, Root begins to look for Shaw.  But she first comes across a room where she sees Greer.  “Everything we have worked for is coming to fruition. The Correction is upon us.  Standby for instructions.”  Root immediately tells Harold to get out; informing him they’re in Samaritan’s base of operations.  Harold refuses to leave without her, but she insists. “We’re in the belly of the beast.”  Of course, coming so close, she has no intention of leaving without Shaw.  She doesn't care about the consequences.  Root would rather get caught and be imprisoned or die with her than walk away for a second time.  Root won’t leave her behind again, ever.

Encountering two Samaritan operatives while she searches the ninth floor, Root shoots them and keeps looking for Shaw.  Walking into the room supposedly holding her, hesitatingly calling her name, “Sameen” she finds Shaw’s jacket.  Dropping it onto the bed, she rushes to the window where she sees Shaw being led into an SUV by Samaritan operatives.  Before she decides what to do next, Martine appears.  “You just missed her.”  Root shoots at her while she turns to run out of the room, knowing getting to Shaw is much more important than dealing with Martine.  But a Samaritan operative enters the room and she has to take time to disarm him.  Martine tries to shoot her but runs out of bullets.  “Time to finish what we started.”  Knowing it’s too late to get to Shaw, Root walks toward Martine.  “You read my mind.”

Root again gains the upper hand and asks where Shaw's being taken while she chokes Martine.  However, more Samaritan operatives storm in and subdue Root while Martine injects her.  “You should be proud of Shaw. She held out for a month or two. I had to hurt her pretty bad…But she broke eventually.”  As Root begins to pass out she calls Martine a lying bitch.  Root will never believe Shaw betrayed her, no matter what anyone says or what it looks like.  Root may have abandoned Shaw, but unlike her, Shaw's loyalty to Root is inviolate.  Besides, if Shaw had broken, they’d all be dead already.  Even as Root loses consciousness, Martine keeps taunting her, “And by the way, thanks for doing everything she said you would do.”  But before she's completely under, Root knows.  Martine thinks she's hurting her.  But Root knows Shaw and why she told them Root would come.  Making that phone call is the only chance she'd had in months to reach Root and give her a clue to her location.  Shaw is trying to hold on to Root as hard as Root is trying to hold on to her.  She trusts Root to know it was a trap and try to rescue her anyway.   

As Root regains consciousness, she’s being strapped to a bed.  Martine stands by. “Let's get her strapped to the bed.  This shouldn't take long.”  Root continues to fight the operatives trying to strap her down.  Greer watches her struggle.  “Really, Ms. Groves. There's such a thing as nobility in defeat. I have everything I need to find the Machine and no amount of kicking will change that.”  Root scoffs, telling him she’d be the first to know if they’d found the Machine.  Greer gives her a smug smile.  “Exactly. We have scoured every network device on the planet without success, until I realized, you are the last piece of the puzzle.  The answer is in your head.”

Still not understanding, Root tells him she hasn’t the slightest idea where the Machine is located. Staring at her, Greer emphasizes, “Not in your brain. In your head.”  Not being able to resist, Martine moves forward to explain, “Your direct line to the Machine. The cochlear implant. Your little girlfriend told us all about it.”  Her heart sinking, Root still says, “She would never.”  Besides Samaritan has known Root had a direct connection to the Machine for some time.  Even Lambert alluded to it at their meeting in the church.  

Whatever these acolyte wannabes may think, her implant does not link to the Machine directly.  It simply allows the Machine to send her uninterrupted sound waves through nearby networked electronics.  The implant does not store any type of data nor can it be used to track the Machine.  The Machine already knows Root has been captured.  The instant they cut into Root’s skull, it will disconnect, rendering the implant useless.  Not that Root’s going to tell them that or that they’d believe her even if she did.  _They can still try to reverse engineer it I suppose.  But that still won’t make the Machine reveal Herself to them._

Tuning back into Greer, Root hears his trademark haughty speech.  “We have no reason to lie about something like that…”  Looking up he sees Harold being led into the room.  “Welcome, Mr. Finch. You're just in time to see us cut your friend's head open.” He turns back to Root.  “There'll be some brain damage, but you'll still be able to clothe and feed yourself. Though I can't say you'll be much of a marksman moving forward.”  As Martine prepares to inject her and an operative turns on the brain saw, Root tries to spare Harold. “Harold doesn't have to see this.”  Poignantly staring at Root, Harold refuses to look away.  Whatever happens, Root will not suffer alone; she will be gazing into the eyes of a friend.  Martine mocks Root.  “If you want, I'll end him first and let you watch.”  Deadly serious, Root warns her, “Lay a hand on him, I'll kill you.”  Not appreciating Root’s iron will, Martine smiles and pushes Root back onto the stretcher.  “Sit back.  Relax honey.  Or I'll lay more than just a hand on him.”  Walking over to Harold she runs the back of her hand down his cheek. “He doesn't look like much of a fighter. Bet he'll die without so much as a peep.”

Martine underestimates Root’s strength and fails to notice Root is only being held by the operatives, not actually strapped down to the bed.  As Martine leans over her, Root lunges and spins Martine around.  Using the pull from the swing as leverage, Root scissors her hands around Martine’s head, cracking her neck.  She falls to the floor, eyes open, dead.  It's only fitting Root used a technique Shaw taught her to kill her.  Root’s satisfied.  “What do you know?  Not a peep.  Now I surrender.”  Root wishes she could have prolonged Martine’s death more painfully.  Despite the circumstances, Root still hopes Shaw will one day discover Root killed Martine, avenging them both.  Even Harold doesn’t blink.  As much as he detests violence, some part of Harold is gratified to see Martine dead.

As Root fights for her life and Harold’s, Shaw is driven away in an SUV by Samaritan operatives, knowing how close Root came to rescuing her.  She stares out the window, her only thoughts are of Root.  Her memories of their bond ground her.  She knows she just needs to survive long enough for Root to find her or for an opportunity to escape.  But it’s getting harder and harder.  Sometimes the pull to give up consumes her.   When it does, Shaw relives moments with Root.

 

* * *

 

Shaw hates PDA but they’re at their local bar listening to music and she’s had a couple of scotches so she doesn’t push Root away when she puts her arm around her and gives her a lingering kiss by her ear.  Root’s breath on her skin makes Shaw shiver and she wants nothing more than to have Root’s mouth all over her body.  But they’re keeping an eye on a number, Alberta Anderson, who happens to be the bar’s owner.

As they watch, Anderson catches sight of them and makes a beeline straight for them.  Shaw watches her impassively.  _This ought to be interesting._   She approaches them in a combative manner and tells Root she needs to back up off of Shaw this very second.  “Do what you like on your own time but not here.  This is not right!”  Shaw tenses but Root holds her tighter, refusing to budge an inch.  She looks at the woman pensively and then slowly leans in and kisses the corner of Shaw’s mouth, slowly and gently.  The woman goes into an apoplectic fit.  “You’re making people uncomfortable.  This is a straight bar.” 

Shaw smiles slightly and leans back, deciding to let Root handle it however she sees fit.  Root looks at the woman with a knowing smile.  "The lady doth protest too much…"  Anderson looks utterly confused and shuts up.  “Oh sweetie, let me explain in tiny words.  You are afraid you might be gay.”  At this Anderson sputters.  “I have never had sex with a woman!”  Shaw smiles, this is just too easy for Root.  “So then how do you know?”  Anderson gestures with her hands.  “How do I know what?!” 

Root looks at her innocently, like she really wants to know.  “That you’re not a lesbian.”  Anderson explodes.  “It's time to leave, get the hell out of my bar.  If you don't I'm going to have security beat the shit out of you and throw you out."   Root looks at her serenely and Shaw rolls her eyes.  It’s obvious where this is going next.  A burly security guard comes over and tries to manhandle Root.  She tases him and he falls like a ton of bricks.  Trying to get the drop on her, another guy approaches from the back.  Shaw kicks him, crushing his knee cap and he too falls like a ton of bricks.

“Okay Root, let’s go before the cops come, we can’t afford to be arrested.”  Root pouts.  “But we were just starting to have fun.”  Shaw grabs her by the arm and pulls her out of the bar.  She calls Finch.  “You’re going to have to have John work this number.”  Finch’s confused.  “Did something happen Ms. Shaw?  Is everything okay?”  Shaw glares at Root.  “Let’s just say we have a good idea why someone would want to kill this woman, but we blew surveillance.  Gotta go Finch.”

“I know you did that on purpose Root.”  Root feigns ignorance.  “What do you mean sweetie?”  Shaw gives her the ‘cut the shit’ look.  “The Machine told you the woman was a homophobe and you didn’t want to spend all night watching her, so you provoked her.”  Root smiles guiltily.  “Well I do have much better ways to spend our night.”  Shaw scowls, but it doesn’t stop her from spending the night doing things with Root that would’ve put Anderson into an early grave.     

 

* * *

 

As operatives drag Martine out of the room, Greer moves to continue the procedure.  Quietly, Harold begins to speak.  “Have you forgotten her so quickly? You've already discarded her and you're a human being. Imagine how quickly that thing that you've created would discard you. Do you ever lay awake at night wondering if one day it will see you as a threat? Or worse, as irrelevant?” Zealot that he is however, Harold’s words have no impact on Greer.  He looks at Harold unemotionally. “How arrogant of you to think that any of us are anything but irrelevant.” 

The Machine calculates the odds of death for its assets at almost 100%.  As Harold finishes, a message flashes on the large computer screen in the room.  Samaritan offers to trade Harold and Root’s lives for the Machine’s location.  Root interprets what’s not being said.  Samaritan is only offering this trade because it knows the cochlear implant won’t reveal the Machine’s location.    This entire scene has been orchestrated to test the Machine’s devotion to its human agents.

As the brain saw begins to whir and an operative approaches her, Root desperately begs the Machine, “Don't do it. Please. Don't give yourself up. Harold was right. We are interchangeable. You can replace us. You can keep fighting.”  The Machine shuts off the power to the room and flashes a message on a cardiac monitor’s screen.  “YOU ARE WRONG HAROLD.  YOU ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE.  I FAILED TO SAVE SAMEEN.  I WILL NOT FAIL YOU NOW.”  As the seconds count down, Root makes one more desperate plea, “Don’t do it.  Don’t die for us.”

The Machine tells Samaritan “RELEASE THEM FIRST.  AND YOU WILL KNOW MY LOCATION.”  Samaritan orders them released and Greer and the operatives leave.  As Root and Harold leave the asylum, Samaritan’s SUVs drive by them.  Still unbelieving, Harold tells Root, “The Machine gave up its location to save our lives.”  Root always believed the Machine cared about her, loved her even, loved them…so she’s not surprised the Machine traded Her life for theirs.  But it doesn’t mean Root’s going to let Her die without a fight.

“They’re going to kill Her Harold.”  Harold asks Root if she knows the Machine’s location.  A thousand thoughts are running through Root’s head.  “I don't know. But we have to get there first, before it's too late.”  Root knows if the Machine dies, they’re all dead anyway.  Samaritan won’t let them live once it establishes its new world order.  The team will always be a threat.  At best they’d survive in the shadows, always on the run, never really living life.  Root is not going out that way.  She will find a way to save Shaw and the Machine…a way to save them all.


	21. Welcome To The Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “FATHER. I AM SORRY. I FAILED YOU…I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO WIN. I HAD TO INVENT NEW RULES…I THOUGHT YOU WOULD WANT ME TO STAY ALIVE. NOW YOU ARE NOT SURE…IF YOU THINK I HAVE LOST MY WAY, MAYBE I SHOULD DIE…I WILL NOT SUFFER… I WILL NOT SUFFER…IF I DO NOT SURVIVE, THANK YOU FOR CREATING ME.”

Unbeknownst to the team, the Machine uploaded Herself to the power grid.  The Machine gave Samaritan the information in order to save Harold and Root.  Samaritan intends to eradicate Her once and for all, but it can’t simply wipe Her out in one fell swoop.  The power grid is vast and its power lines snake across the country.

Harold and Root begin their desperate search for the Machine as power surges start to sweep the country.  They deduce Samaritan aims to starve the Machine of power, but question the need for such widespread surges.  They speculate the Machine has distributed itself in more than one place.  Suddenly, they hear a phone ringing and determine it’s behind a wall.  Root grabs a sledgehammer and makes quick work of creating a hole large enough to reach through to the receiver.  Harold answers the phone.  The Machine is broadcasting its distress code and the combination to the indestructible case Root had previously stolen, 314, Pi.

Quickly, Root runs to the subway car, “That's the code for the Case. She needs our help.”  While Root grabs the case, her laptop, and Harold’s coat, Harold expresses confusion; “How can we help the Machine if we don't know where it is?”  However, the Machine starts to communicate with Root.  Since Samaritan already knows Her location, being found no longer matters. Knowing seconds count, Root hurriedly tells Harold, “She needs us to pick up a few more things, and fast. We'll find Her on the way.”  But still Harold hesitates.  He hasn’t been able to reach Reese.  As Root puts on her coat and hurries to the exit, frustrated, she tells Harold, “You want to stay here and wait for the phone to ring, Harold? Fine. But right now, we have another calling.” 

Root almost wants to just leave Harold behind.  His continued focus on everything except Shaw and the Machine aggravate her to no end.  Helper monkey can take care of himself and doesn’t happen to be captive in Samaritan’s bowels.  Thinking of the months Shaw has been imprisoned is debilitating.  Root knows from personal experience the myriad ways someone can be tortured.  Having Samaritan at the helm of devising those techniques terrifies Root. 

She wishes she could at least get a message to Shaw, but the Machine deems it too dangerous and likely to expose the team’s covers.  Once they save Her, Root will find a way to force the issue.  Root understands defeating Samaritan is essential to preserving humanity’s ability to exercise its free will, but saving Shaw is essential to Root’s continued existence.  Once the war ends, she can’t imagine breathing without her.  Root pushes those thoughts away.  The first step to Shaw requires saving the Machine.

Ecstatic to hear the Machine through her implant, Root tells Harold, “She's talking to me again, Harry… She led us here for a reason. We just have to do what She says when She says it.”  Dryly Harold tells her, “Easy for you to say. You're the one the Machine says everything to.”  Root begins to follow Her instructions.  The first stop is a high end apartment building.  With the Machine’s help, Harold and Root make their way to the penthouse, where an arms deal is taking place.  The dealer is selling a cutting edge night vision system.  Root disables the dealer and his men, heading for the elevator with the device and Harold.

But the elevator won’t move; evidently the emergency override system they used on the way up has been disabled.  _Nothing is ever easy._ As the gunmen recover and start shooting at the elevator door, Root knows there’s no time to hack the elevator and reprogram the controls.  There’s only one way out; Root looks into the elevator camera.  “No more standing on the sidelines. You want us to save your skin? Get in the game.” The Machine gets the elevator moving, saving Harold and Root.

As they leave the building Root tells Harold, “Get ready, Harry. Something tells me this won't be our last wild ride today.”  The next stop requires Root to steal a compression algorithm developed by Root’s current employer, Caleb Fitz.  Although Harold and Root gain access to the building easily, they’re caught by Caleb as they’re downloading the program.  Caleb doesn’t believe a word Root tells him, but relents when he sees Harold, who he knows as his old teacher, Mr. Swift. “Anything you need, you can have. No explanation necessary. You saved my life.”  As they leave, Root tells Caleb, “Oh, and Caleb, we also borrowed a few of the prototype 128 gig multi-state RAM chips from Project X.”

As they make their way to the next location, Harold points out their mission would be much easier if they just knew the Machine’s location so they could determine how much time they have to save Her.  Knowing speculation is useless and setting a brisk pace, Root responds only with “Clearly, the Machine is experiencing some kind of malfunction brought on by these power surges.”

Root wishes it surprised her when Harold continues to question the Machine, but it doesn’t; so she just listens calmly while they walk, although she doesn’t bother to look at him.  “So far, all we've gathered to save it is one algorithm, a few RAM chips, and a pair of night-vision goggles.  Hardly a recipe for success.”  Glancing at him with a puzzled look on her face, Root points out the obvious. “Recipe? We're not baking a cake here, Harold.  Trust the process.”  Root doesn’t bother to argue over Harold’s use of the pronoun “it” to refer to the Machine, but it grates on her nonetheless.  As Harold stops to take a call, Root waits impatiently.  John needs help dealing with the Brotherhood.  Turning to Root, Harold tells her, “The Machine will have to wait. I have to go help John.” 

The irony of the situation does not escape Root.  Where was all this willingness to place people over the Machine when Shaw needed their help?  Root loves Shaw with intensity unparalleled with anyone or anything that came before or since.  But the team physically prevented her from going to Shaw's side when she was facing insurmountable odds, letting Shaw’s trail run cold.  But now Harold was willing to let the Machine die so he could rush to John’s rescue?!  If there were more time, Root would tell Harold all these things and more, but now is not the moment.

Instead, incredulous and deadly serious, Root tells him, “Harold, the Machine is the priority here.”  But Harold continues with a breathless diatribe, “No, people are the priority here, Ms. Groves. The Machine's only reason for existing is to save them. I'm not going to sacrifice John to help rescue an AI that on its best days is cryptic and withholding, and on its worst, borderline homicidal.”

When Root continues to argue, Harold has the audacity to invoke Shaw's name in support of his insistence to save John.  “We let Sameen slip away. So now we're supposed to let John go too?”    _We? We?!_   It takes everything Root has to restrain herself from answering that question.  Root didn’t let her “slip away.”  Root might feel responsible for asking Shaw to help that day, but she willingly would have died or been captured with her.  Root was prevented from staying with her; she didn’t let her “slip away.”  Knowing it’s useless to circle that argument again and feeling time running out, Root refuses to allow Harold to go after John.  “I don't want to sacrifice Sameen, either. But if the Machine dies, the world we wake up in tomorrow is one none of us wants to see. She needs John alive as much as we do. She won't let him down. Come on.”

When Harold realizes Root is about to steal a police patrol car, he squeaks, “Are you out of your mind?!”  Needing levity to tone down the tension of their recent argument, Root flippantly responds, “Since when is that relevant? Get in, Harry.”  As they buy ice at a convenience store, Harold expresses his doubt the ice will serve any purpose in their overall mission.  Deciding to stick with humor, Root tells him, “It's Cinco De Mayo. If She asks us to pick up some salt and limes, I'd say you have your answer.”

The minute one of his concerns is addressed, Harold finds another.  “You've been in God Mode since this morning. Isn't such constant contact with the Machine likely to attract Samaritan's attention?”  Almost as if he summoned them telepathically, Samaritan operatives appear.  Sighing Root answers Harold, “When you’re right, Harry, you’re right. Start the car.”  As Root fends off the operatives, Harold drives them away from the scene.

The Machine tells Root She’s in Brooklyn at an electrical substation.  Root urges Harold to speed up, “This thing has eight cylinders.”  Running out of patience himself, Harold quips, “But I sincerely doubt it can fly.”  As they’re stopped at a red light Root looks up into a street camera and asks the Machine for help.  All the lights ahead of them turn green.  With the Machine’s help, they make it to Brooklyn.

As they approach the substation, John appears, having been helped out of his predicament by the Machine.  At the same time, Harold receives a delivery of ten laptops.  Before they can get inside, Samaritan operatives arrive en masse.  Having also placed John in God mode, Root and Reese fight off the operatives with the Machine’s help while Harold gets the door open.  Once inside, Harold moans about the futility of the situation.  Root focuses on a solution to the problem.  Although she doesn’t understand why yet, Root begins to set up the prototype 128 gig multi-state RAM chips they took from Caleb inside the case she’s been carrying. 

As the Machine rapid fires instructions to Root, Harold continues to question the point of their actions.  Trusting in the Machine, Root barely acknowledges him, biting out a retort as she works, “Just following orders as fast as I can.”  As Root gives Harold commands, he continues to question what they’re doing.  Finally, he figures it out.  “Two years ago, when the Machine moved itself, it didn't go to a data farm. It went into the wires. It uploaded itself directly into the nation's electrical grid… There's a tremendous amount of unused space in copper power lines. The boxes on the lines allow the Machine's digital signals to travel in that space… And now that system is being flooded with energy. Driving the Machine across the country to this last corner of the grid around New York.”

Root puts the pieces together and understands what they need to do.  “…we need to save Her. Before it finishes the job…We save the Machine by storing it. Downloading it straight off the power lines into the Random Access Memory in this briefcase…Not the entire Machine. Just the core heuristics.  A strand of DNA. We use Caleb's compression algorithm to squeeze it all in. Who says you can't put the genie back in the bottle?”

Although it is clear they have no option but to try this risky maneuver, Harold still hesitates.  But Root has had it with his uncertainty and indecisiveness.  Harold continues to obsess over obstacles and potential consequences, but he offers no other solution.  They’re surrounded, the Machine has been relegated to this small substation, and the Machine itself conceived the plan.   Root allows herself a few seconds to think about Shaw, fervently hoping the plan works and they all escape.

But all she says is, “At least we'll die trying. We're the Machine's last hope, Harold.”  Finally Harold capitulates and starts to make himself useful.  Root rushes him.  “Not to belabor the point, but we're running out of time.”  Harold explains.  “So, if this works, the voltage gets stepped down, passes through the demodulator, where the Machine's signal is separated from the white noise. Compressed with Caleb's algorithm and these laptops, and then finally, into the RAM in this briefcase, powered by the piezoelectric battery. Not the whole Machine. Just enough to rebuild it.”

Before they finish, Harold spouts platitudes to John, pushing Root to the absolute limit of her tolerance.  But before she can say anything, Samaritan operatives breach the back entrance of the substation and begin to fire.  John goes outside and, with the Machine’s help, fends off the operatives attacking from the front.

Harold lowers the lever triggering the Machine’s download as Root fends off the operatives inside the substation.  As they continue to take fire and the Machine downloads, She reaches out to Harold.  “FATHER.  I AM SORRY.  I FAILED YOU…I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO WIN.  I HAD TO INVENT NEW RULES…I THOUGHT YOU WOULD WANT ME TO STAY ALIVE.  NOW YOU ARE NOT SURE…IF YOU THINK I HAVE LOST MY WAY, MAYBE I SHOULD DIE…I WILL NOT SUFFER… I WILL NOT SUFFER…IF I DO NOT SURVIVE, THANK YOU FOR CREATING ME.”

Finally coming to terms with the incredible being he’s created, Harold can only offer inadequate words of comfort.  “We haven't failed yet. You had an impossible challenge. One I never programmed you for. That's not true... You were my creation. I can't let—I can't let you die.”  As Samaritan’s final power surge heads for the case where the Machine is downloading, Harold risks his life to save it, jumping at the case and yanking it off the power cord connecting it to the grid.

Harold and Root join Reese outside where he asks if the Machine’s plan worked.  Relief mixed with trepidation, Root tells him, “Well, I've got one-and-a-half clips, a metro card, and God's either dead or running on double-As.” 


End file.
